


Out of Control

by yamarik



Category: Psycho-Pass, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama, psycho-pass au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-06 17:57:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 117,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16392401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yamarik/pseuds/yamarik
Summary: Lance is excited to start work as an inspector for the MWPSB. However, the job turns out to have a lot of aspects he never expected. Like the enforcers. Like one enforcer in particular, who is grumpy yet gorgeous.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly a Psycho-Pass au, but it is supposed to be set in the same universe as Psycho-Pass canon. Most of the cast will be from VLD, but there will be some mentions/appearances of people from Psycho-Pass. That being said, a quick explanation of the Psycho-Pass concept for anyone who hasn't watched: futuristic Japan has adapted a system called Sybil, wherein a person's likelihood of committing a crime can be detected via a scan. Those the system judges to be too likely to commit a crime are called latent criminals, and are arrested regardless of whether they have done anything yet or not.  
> If you find yourself confused at any point you can ask questions in the comments section, or you can also watch the Psycho-Pass anime because it's really good. It's also rather violent, so it's not for everyone, but if you don't mind that then I would highly recommend it.

On his first day of work, Lance sauntered into the Ministry of Welfare Public Safety Bureau headquarters as if he owned the place. First impressions were important after all, and he wanted to look confident. Cool. Collected. The three C’s right there. 

His confidence was shaken a little, however, when someone shoved in front of him to get into the elevator. Rude. Whatever, he wasn’t gonna let it bother him. Today was a big day, after all. So he simply slid in behind the guy in front of him, and tried his best to keep the shock off his face when he noticed that the guy had a mullet. A mullet! That was a hairstyle from like, 200 years ago! 

_Nope, not gonna freak out. Be Cool, McClain. Keep it cool._

“Hi there, how’s it going?” Lance greeted, trying to be friendly. The guy just grunted. Or growled. Lance wasn’t really sure. His smile was getting more and more strained, and it was beginning to hurt his face. The elevator dinged, and the guy moved to leave as it was his floor they’d arrived at. Lance was going to the top to greet the chief and receive his assignment. 

“Have a nice day!” Lance called after him. A small part of him considered saying something a bit ruder, but if he were the type of person to give in to such impulses, then he wouldn’t be here. Only people with the clearest of hues got recommended for the MWPSB. 

The doors slid shut and the elevator once again began to move upward. Lance sighed. He’d been hoping to get along with his coworkers. Oh well. Not everyone would be like that guy right? And even if they were, so what? It’s not like he wasn’t used to people being bothered by his exuberant personality. He just hoped things wouldn’t end up like back in school, where people had spread those rumors about him… 

_You don’t need to dwell on that. Worrying about things that you can’t change doesn’t do you any good, Lance._

The elevator dinged, and Lance took a deep breath. This was it. His future awaited him on the other side of these doors. 

_Three C’s man. Confident. Cool. Collected. You got this._

The doors slid open, and Lance stepped out and into a hug. 

Well that was unexpected. 

“Hi, nice to meet you! Lance McClain, right?” the person said, releasing a dazed Lance. Lance blinked, trying to take in his surroundings and re-orientate himself. He felt so off balance from that hug. Some inspector he was going to be, getting upset by a simple hug! 

“Oh, are hugs no good? I’m so sorry! I really should have asked first, you’re right, I just got so excited to meet you and-” 

“No, it’s fine,” Lance interrupted, smiling back at the face that was nervously peering at him. “Just surprised me a little. Are you District Chief Haggar?” 

The man’s eyes went wide. 

“Who, me? Di- Haggar? No nononono. I’m your new partner, Tsuyoshi Garret. Call me Hunk. Division Chief Haggar couldn’t make it today. Though rumor has it that she hates dealing with newbies, so things often come up when someone new gets assigned. But, uh, it’s just a rumor, I’m sure.” Hunk held up his hands in front of him, in reassurance or in some sort of denial of what he’d just said, Lance wasn’t sure. He was willing to guess the former though. Hunk just seemed like a nice guy. 

“Well then, nice to meet you, Hunk. Er, too. Nice to meet you too. Uh, I’m, uh, looking forward to working with you?” 

Crap. That sounded like a question the way he’d said it. So much for confident. 

Hunk laughed. Oh god. He totally thought Lance was some sort of enormous dweeb, didn’t he? Well, there were worse things than being an enormous dweeb, right? Like being a colossal douche. Or an unforgivable ass. Yeah, Lance could work with this. Maybe. 

“No need to be so formal, Lance. I can call you Lance, right? Or do you prefer McClain? I guess I should have asked before being all buddy-buddy. Like I said, I’ve been excited to meet you. I saw your record, and it looks like you did really good in school, and have some amazing psycho-pass resilience. And just, I’m still pretty new here myself, only been here a year and all, and I guess I’m kinda hoping that we’ll get along and be partners all the way up until we can get promoted, even though that kind of thing is pretty rare.” 

Wait, maybe he didn’t think Lance was an enormous dweeb? He… seemed to actually have a high opinion of Lance? But it was one thing to look good on paper, and another to actually be worthy of praise. Lance would have to work hard to make sure he didn’t disappoint. Especially since this guy was so nice, the thought of disappointing him squeezed Lance’s heart. 

“Y-yeah,” Lance said, cursing himself for his stammer. “I get what you mean. As for names, um, either is fine I guess. I’m not really particular or anything.” 

“Great! I’m gonna go with Lance, since we’re a pretty informal group around here.” 

“Oh, you mean the other inspectors?” 

“No, silly. I mean the enf-” Hunk’s eyes went wide as he stopped himself. “Oh, I forgot they don’t tell you that until after you get here, it surprised me too. So, uh, each division is made up of inspectors, but also there’s some people we work with called enforcers. They’re uh, they’re a little different. But they’re cool, really. Scout’s honor.” 

Lance noticed that Hunk seemed to have a nervous tic when he was avoiding a topic, where he folded all fingers except his pointers and touched them at the tips while avoiding eye contact. Hunk did meet Lance’s eyes again when he insisted that these enforcer people were cool, but it made Lance wonder what exactly was the deal with them. 

“When you say… different, what exactly do you mean?” Lance asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh. Um, well they’re… uhhhh, ummmmm… They’re… they’re kinda… latent… criminals,” Hunk said, again looking away but then glancing sidelong at Lance at the last moment. 

Lance’s eyes went wide. 

“Letmeexplain!” Hunk said quickly, before Lance could do more than make a half-formed vowel noise in his throat. “So, back in the days, they noticed that a lot of police officers became latent criminals from the stress of the job, right? And so they wanted a way to take some of the stress off of them. So they split it up into inspectors and enforcers. The enforcers are latent criminals who have shown a propensity for justice. They are people who will enforce the law, even when they have to break it to do so. And also, like, since they are latent criminals, they can think like the guys we’re trying to catch, whereas we can’t do that without running the risk of clouding our psycho-pass.” 

Lance’s jaw closed into a tight line. He could see Hunk was nervous about his reaction. 

“That’s… So you’re saying they get their hands dirty so we can stay clean?” Lance asked, trying not to grit his teeth. “That’s messed up! How is blatantly using people supposed to keep our hues clean? And what about them, huh?” 

“Wow. That was not the reaction I was expecting. I’ve heard most people freak out and are all scared like ‘they’re latent criminals? But won’t they try to hurt us?’” 

“What?!?” 

“Yeah. But, as for using them, maybe it’s wrong, but at the same time, being enforcers is the only way they get any kind of freedom. If it weren’t for that, they’d be stuck in recovery centers or even detention centers for life. But at least as enforcers, they can go around, so long as they’re accompanied by an inspector. It’s not true freedom, but… it’s something, right?” 

“I guess. But it still seems wrong to expect them to do things that we won’t.” 

“Then don’t. I’ll like you a lot better for sure, and so will they. Like I said, we’re a pretty informal group, and part of that’s because we don’t really maintain that distinction between inspectors and enforcers that a lot of divisions do. Like, I’ve heard some inspectors refer to enforcers as dogs, but they’re really not any different from us aside from the fact that they have higher crime coefficients, right? They still want to protect people deep down, and so they’re good people even if they might not always have the most ethical methods.” 

“Wait, some inspectors refer to them as dogs?!?” 

“Yeah. Some inspectors make me wonder how they got the job and why they chose it since it's not like they didn't have other options. But anyway, why don’t I take you down to meet the team?” 

“Sure thing.” 

“Cool cool.” Hunk nodded as he led the way back into the elevator and pressed the button for the correct floor. Lance took note of their destination floor, hoping to have a working mental map of this place by the end of the day. It would be pretty embarrassing if he kept getting lost and having to ask for directions like some newb. 

The elevator had just dinged and the doors were sliding open when their wrist-computers showed an alert. Hunk immediately stuck an arm out beside the elevator doors to keep them open as a voice ordered “Alright people, let’s move!” and three men and a woman piled into the elevator. Hunk pushed another button, though Lance couldn’t see which as he was smooshed in the back corner behind a blonde guy with goggles on his head who greeted him with a hoarse “hi”. What Lance could see was that one of the other new occupants of the elevator was the mullet-grump from earlier. 

As they rode down, Lance felt a thrill of excitement mixed with panic. He hadn’t even been at work ten minutes and they were already getting their first case. He was gonna wow everyone with his mad skills! Oooooor he was going to fail horribly in front of everyone and they would all laugh at him forever and he would never live it down. Strange how even though he’d gotten all the right training and knew what to do he still felt unprepared. 

They descended until the elevator doors opened one more time to reveal a garage. The four who had joined them headed towards a large armored vehicle, but Hunk led Lance towards an ordinary car. 

“Generally speaking, the enforcers travel in the transport trucks,” he whispered to Lance. “It’s protocol.” 

“I have a feeling I’m not going to like a lot of protocol,” Lance sighed. 

“Probably not. By the way, you wanna drive? You can just use automatic steering if you want, but I’d rather not be driver. It’s just… I don’t like it much.” 

“Sweet, I love to drive,” Lance replied. “Guess this is just a good sign that you and me are super compatible, eh?” He grinned at Hunk, and Hunk laughed and smiled back. Yeah, they’d probably be good friends. 

The two of them got in the car and Hunk changed the exterior so they would have their sirens on as they drove. Lance felt a rush of joy. This was it. He was an inspector now, with a pretty cool partner, about to head out to his first case, and he got to drive. Did life get any better than this? Lance certainly didn’t think so. 

They left the garage, the giant black brick of a vehicle that carried the enforcers following behind them, and a string of drones trailing after that. Lance resisted the urge to test out the limits of the car and set a reasonable pace- fast, but not breakneck. No need to get reckless. 

They’d only gone about a block when Hunk cleared his throat. At first Lance feared the other man meant to comment on his driving, but that fear was soon dispatched. 

“So, um, I was hoping to give you time to get to know our team before we headed out on any calls, but since it’s too late for that, I think I ought to brief you about them a bit.” 

“Sure thing,” Lance said. It would be nice knowing at least something about his teammates when they were going out into the field. That way he wouldn’t be working with complete strangers, right? 

“So, um, well, let me start with Shiro,” Hunk said, and Lance noticed he was doing that finger thing again. Uh-oh. “Shiro’s pretty great, I’m going to assign him to you for now since he used to be an inspector himself and so he’s pretty helpful and can ease you into things pretty well.” 

“He used to be an inspector? Is he okay?” 

“Well I don’t know the details of his demotion, Allura never told me. She was my former partner, and he was her partner, before the guy before me. But, like, he’ll have your back 1000%, so you’ll be okay with him.” 

“Okay. Who else is there?” 

“Well, there’s Rolo. He’s pretty chill too. He can be a little problematic though, since he’s a kleptomaniac, and so you have to make sure he doesn’t steal anything when you’re not looking. He hasn’t tried anything since before I came along, thanks to some treatments, but we’re still required to do a pat-down before leaving a scene every time.” 

“I can see how that would be a problem.” 

“Oh he’s really not,” Hunk assured. “Like I said, he’s really chill, and he’s doing pretty well, and actually he’s a huge help. See, the third enforcer, Nyma, she’s… she’s a handful. She likes to toy with people a bit, so she’ll try to flirt with them to put them off-balance or she’ll try and get on their nerves on purpose… When push comes to shove she’ll come through for sure, but all the same, we keep her and Rolo paired together since Rolo’s good at keeping her in check. Er, I mean, Allura and I always did. And I would strongly recommend that you and I continue to do so.” 

“Okay sure. That’s three down. What about the fourth?” 

“That would be Keith.” Hunk sighed, and he actually paused his finger-poking. Somehow, Lance got the impression that this was because Hunk had just gotten to the thing that made him most nervous. 

“So, Keith?” 

“Keith is… Well he and Nyma don’t get along, like, at all, so that’s one thing to know about him.” 

“Okay.” 

“But alsooooo…” 

“Alsoooo?” 

“Also he won’t take orders from you. Or me. He only listens to Shiro, and sometimes he’d listen to Allura but only rarely. So you will be working with him since you’ll be working with Shiro. Sorry. But as tempestuous as Keith is, this is really the better option. Probably.” 

“Then how do we get anything done if he’s not gonna listen to me?” 

“Any orders, you give ‘em to Shiro. Shiro will give them to Keith.” 

“Anything else I should know?” 

“Yeah. Keith can be a little impulsive and extremely reckless. He tends to charge into things, and he rarely waits for anyone. Also, while you will be the one making the calls for your team, it’d be a good idea to listen to Shiro. He’s got good judgment, and like I said, former inspector. He knows what he’s doing.” 

“So, listen to Shiro. Got it.” 

“Yup. Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention. The lab. You need any computer work done, any scans analyzed, you call our lab. We’ve got two lab techs in our district, pretty rare, and they’re absolute geniuses. Pidge and Matt. They’re siblings, and they will tease you. They tease everyone. Heck, they might even be recording this conversation to use for future embarrassment.” 

“But we’re in a private vehicle.” 

“Like I said, geniuses. Or genii, I should say. Pidge hates it when people use the incorrect plural. The two of them can hack just about anything. In fact, they were latent criminals long before they even entered our radar, and had just hacked the street scanners to read their psycho-passes as lower than they are. They only got noticed because they started hacking advertisements as pranks. All harmless stuff. They were at it for almost three years before they finally got caught. They’re amazing, and I’m not just saying that since they could be listening.” 

“Alright. So to reiterate everything you’ve just told me, Shiro’s about to be my field bff, Rolo’s the sweetest kleptomaniac I’ll ever meet, Nyma’s a femme fatale, Keith is trouble, and Pidge and Matt are omniscient. Did I get all that right?” 

“Uh, yeah. Pretty much.” 

“Okay. Then let’s go.” 

“We’re already on our way though?” 

“Er, just a phrase to indicate that I feel ready.” 

“Ohhhhhhhh,” Hunk said, eyes wide. He laughed. “Wow that should have been obvious. Well, I’m glad to see you confident, Lance. It’s certainly different from my first time going into the field. I was such a nervous wreck. I ended up accidentally paralyzing a civilian because my hands were shaking too much to shoot straight.” 

“Whoops,” Lance said, drawing out the w sound until it was almost two syllables. 

“Yeah. I got chewed out by Keith as being incompetent, and then Allura was all like, ‘it’s okay, it happens’ and Nyma was laughing her butt off. And then Shiro offered to show me the shooting range so I could get in some practice and I swear I about died of embarrassment right there. My crime coefficient even rose a couple points. Not too much, or else I wouldn’t still be here, but still. It was that embarrassing.” 

“Sounds like it. But you’ve improved since then right? Or should I make sure to stand in your line of fire to make sure I don’t get hit?” 

“Hey! My aim is just fine! I was just nervous that time, that’s all. That was the only time I ever did that!” 

“Good to know. I’ll try to aim straight as well.” 

“I have a terrible feeling you and Pidge and Matt are going to get along like a house on fire.” 

Their chatter was interrupted by a voice from Hunk’s wrist computer. 

“Hey, I know you two are trying to schmooze each other or whatever, but you might want to look at the incident briefing _before_ you get to the site.” 

“I take it that’s Pidge?” Lance asked. 

“Bingo,” Hunk said. 

“Bingo?” 

“Oh, sorry. It means exactly. My parents are historians, and so they always taught me these archaic sayings and they’d give me candy whenever I used them, so I just sorta ended up incorporating a lot of them in my everyday speech. I’ve even spread a few among our colleagues.” 

“Yeah, very nice and all, but. Job? Incident? Nutjob on the loose who you guys have got to catch? Any of this ringing a bell?” Pidge asked. 

“Just a moment Pidge. I’m taking a look now,” Hunk said. 

“Okay. Call me when you need something, we both know that you will.” 

There was silence for a moment, and then Hunk sucked in a breath. 

“Is it bad?” Lance asked. 

“Might be. Hard to say. Street scanners picked up a guy with a clouded hue. Some drones went to pick him up and he destroyed them. He’s on the run currently, and it seems that he’s armed, though we’re not sure with what.” 

“Ooo, that could be rough. Is he alone? No hostages or accomplices?” 

“None that we know of, though sometimes it takes a little while for that kind of information to reach us. If there is, Pidge will let us know the moment she knows. Unlike Matt, who sometimes likes to hold out on us to make us beg.” 

They arrived at the suspect’s last known location- a half-constructed office building- and Lance skidded to a stop. He did feel a bit guilty by the way Hunk ended up white-knuckling the oh-shit bar, but he’d enjoyed the skid too much to apologize. Hunk didn’t seem like the type to sweat such a small thing. He’d just have to make sure he was conservative with such maneuvers in the future. 

The truck with the enforcers pulled in behind them, much less dramatically. The pneumatic doors hissed open, and a ramp extended, allowing the enforcers to file out. The tallest guy, who had a shock of white hair at the front and a scar on his face, stretched, his suit sleeves riding up and allowing Lance to take note of a bionic right arm. Next to him, the mullet-grump who Lance suspected was the infamous Keith slouched, while the goggle guy rolled his neck. The one woman, Nyma, headed over towards Lance and Hunk, taking note of the skid marks from Lance’s parking job as she walked. 

“Ooo, looks like the new guy is more adventurous than our dear Hunky-wunky. I _really_ like a guy who knows how to take a few risks.” She leaned into Lance, who recognized the challenge there and didn’t give. 

“And I like a girl who knows how to appreciate good driving,” he replied easily, and she grinned. “But she might be wrong about how much of a risk-taker I am. Risky driving is one thing, but risky dates are another.” 

Nyma laughed as she pulled off of Lance, and pinched his cheek. 

“Aw, I think you might actually be okay,” she cooed, and then skipped away to where a cart was opening up, revealing six gun-shaped machines. Dominators. The other enforcers were already clustered around it, and Hunk was on his way too. Lance followed more slowly, feeling that excitement build even more. He was going to get to use a Dominator. He watched as the others all took their guns and were authenticated by the system, then reached for his. He hesitated a moment before grabbing it though. 

_What if I pick it up and Sybil realizes it made a mistake? What if some paperwork didn’t go through and I don’t have clearance? What if the gun rejects me?_

Lance shoved the “what ifs” aside and closed his fingers around the grip of his gun. 

“Dominator Portable Psychological Diagnosis and Suppression System has been activated,” Lance heard a mechanical voice say. “User authentication: Inspector Lance McClain. Affiliation: Public Safety Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department. Dominator usage approval confirmed. You are a valid user. The current enforcement mode is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Aim calmly and disable the target.”* 

Holy shit he was really doing this. He was really an inspector for the MWPSB. 

“Alright everyone, gather around,” Hunk called, wrapping an arm around Lance’s shoulders. Oh god, Lance had completely forgotten about actual introductions. Hunk’s briefing in the car had made him feel like he’d already met them all. 

The enforcers formed a wall in front of him and Hunk, and Lance fought to keep a smile on his face. He still needed to make a good first impression. Smiles were good. Smiles were friendly. Except this nervous smile was the wrong C. It felt constipated rather than confident, cool, or collected. Great, they were going to think that he was judging them without even getting to know them. Either that or that he had something bad for lunch and was now having some killer gas pains. Yeah, maybe they’d think he had gas. Somehow it was less embarrassing than them thinking he was scared of them or something. 

“This is Lance, our new inspector. Lance, our enforcers, Shiro, Keith, Nyma, Rolo.” Hunk pointed to each enforcer in turn. Shiro was the tall one, Keith was indeed the mullet-grump, and Rolo was the guy who had been pressed up against Lance in the elevator. At this last realization, Lance felt an urge to check his pockets, but resisted. It would be rude to do so, plus Hunk had said Rolo could be trusted, and also Lance really didn’t have anything valuable on him today. 

“Hi everyone, nice to meet you,” Lance chirped. “Try not to dent me right away, okay?” That got chuckles from all except Keith. Hopefully that meant they all had a sense of humor and not that they were already plotting sinister ways to get him injured. He was gonna bet on the former option. It might be naive, but hey, what was wrong with believing the best of people? Suspicion only clouded one’s psycho-pass. 

“No promises, but we’ll do our best,” Shiro said, smiling as he reached out to shake Lance’s hand. 

“And our best is pretty good, right Hunky-wunky?” Nyma said. 

“Hey, not everyone gets beat up like Shiro,” Rolo said, also reaching to shake Lance’s hand. “Don’t let the rugged scar and the metal arm fool you. ‘Sides, we like to take care of our own.” 

“Are we done yet?” Keith growled before Lance could reply. Lance opted to ignore him and reply to Rolo anyway. 

“And here I was already planning what arm design I should ask for. Well, I suppose if you’re gonna keep me in one piece, then I guess I ought to do the same for you. Especially since you do have such well-muscled arms. Seriously, what kind of workout do you do?” 

“Hey chatterbox, shut up. Or have you forgotten we’ve got a job?” Keith snapped, actually physically stepping between Lance and Rolo to glare at Lance. Lance merely smiled back. A sarcastic comment was ready at the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t going to let it out. He needed to be better than that if he was going to be an inspector. Which he was. 

“Keith, do we need to have you stay in the truck?” Shiro asked. Keith huffed out a breath and backed off. 

“Okay, teams,” Hunk said firmly, then added in an undertone, “which I am seriously rethinking right now.” Everyone ignored the second bit. “Rolo and Nyma, you’re with me. Shiro and Keith, you’re with Lance. Unless you have any protests Shiro?” 

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Shiro said, though he cast a rueful glance at Keith as he spoke. Keith crossed his arms and glared at the pavement like it had personally offended him. 

“Good. Let’s fan out and find this guy. Keep in mind that he’s armed, and act with caution.” 

“Like Keith ever does,” Nyma quipped. Keith ignored her. 

“Nyma, please,” Hunk said. “Anyway, let’s move out.” 

“Roger,” Shiro said. Lance assumed it was one of those things Hunk had taught everyone, because he had always thought Roger was a name. Keith was already moving, and Lance and Shiro jogged after him. 

Lance stayed with Shiro, figuring from what he’d heard about Keith that if he tried to stick with the mulleted enforcer he’d either get left behind and end up wandering lost and alone, or he’d follow Keith right into a dangerous situation and get killed before he could react. That would be a glorious first day on the job. He wondered what was the record for shortest career of an inspector. Setting the record with death an hour into the job was one accomplishment Lance could say he didn’t want. 

Following Shiro, Lance detected a sort of pattern to his and Keith’s movements. Shiro led Lance in an alternating forward-sideways pattern, and after every other turn to go forwards, Keith would be waiting impatiently to give an abrupt shake of his head and then disappear again. Shiro never explained it, but Lance guessed that Keith was deliberately checking in. Maybe that was Keith’s version of caution. 

They cleared the first floor with no sign of the suspect and regrouped with Hunk, Rolo, and Nyma. Keith impatiently tapped his foot the entire thirty seconds they spent deciding how to proceed, and Lance resigned himself to the fact that the mullet-grump was going to be a pain in the neck to work with. 

“Which way do you think he’ll have gone, Shiro?” Hunk asked as soon as they met up. 

Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap. 

“Down would have more chance of running into more scanners and alerting us as to his position,” Shiro said. “However, up would leave him with no escape route. I’d say down is more likely.” Nyma and Rolo nodded agreement. 

TaptaptaptapTAPtaptaptapTAPtapTAPtapTAPTAPTAPTAP. 

“Alright then. We’ll go down and you guys go up.” 

The tapping stopped as Keith opened his mouth, and Lance just knew he was going to protest, but Shiro was already nodding. 

“Alright, stay safe. Call us if you find him,” Shiro said, and Keith’s mouth snapped shut to form a sullen pinched line. 

They split up again, Keith bolting up the stairs ahead of them while Lance and Shiro took things at a more reasonable pace. As they continued their search pattern and Keith seemed more restless than ever, pacing whenever he had to wait for them and then leaving them in the dust as if Hell itself was chasing him. Lance had to wonder where he got the energy. 

“Soooo,” Nyma’s voice said over their comms unit, “I’ve been thinking about a nickname for New Guy.” 

“Oooo, nice,” Lance replied. “I’m all ears.” 

“Oh no,” Rolo chimed in. “Here we go.” 

“Really?” Nyma asked. “Then how do you feel about… Lanny? Or Lanny-wanny?” 

“Hm, it’ll take a little bit of getting used to, but I could roll with those,” Lance said. 

“Okay then,” Nyma huffed, sounding annoyed. “What about Lanceykins?” 

“Aww, that’s so cute!” Lance gushed. 

“Inspector, I hate to break it to you, but she’s trying to find one that you don’t like,” Rolo said. 

“Well then tough luck, babe, because I can deal with just about anything.” 

“Ooo, confident,” Nyma replied. 

“Though might I suggest combining the two? Lannykins sounds a bit better to me than Lanceykins or Lanny-wanny. Though my personal favorites are Lance-Trance or Lance-Enchants. They’re both a bit of a mouthful, but they are rather accurate descriptors, if I do say so myself.” 

“Oh my GOD! New guy, do you EVER shut up?” Keith groaned into the comms line. “We’re supposed to be finding a guy, and with all your chitchat we never will because he’ll hear us coming! Is this just some kind of game to you?” 

“Not at all,” Lance said. “This is my new job, and I am taking it seriously. But taking it seriously doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy doing it, so I’m doing that too.” 

“Such bullshit.” 

“Does that mean you are incapable of enjoying something while also taking it seriously? Because if so, I’m sorry to hear that.” 

“You know what? I’m not listening to you anymore.” 

“Considering I was warned that you weren’t ever going to listen to me in the first place, I hardly see that as a loss.” 

The comms line was filled with the sound of laughter. Lance wasn’t sure how many people were even laughing. It could have been one person, or it could have been everyone else in their division aside from him and Keith. 

“Oh my God. Hunk, you gave him a warning speech didn’t you?” Rolo gasped. 

“Can you blame me?” Hunk replied. 

“Pidgelet, please tell me you recorded the speech and we can hear it later on,” Nyma said. 

“Of course I recorded it,” Pidge replied, sounding offended. “And as for whether or not you can hear it later on, what’s in it for me?” 

“Want a new wrist cushion?” Rolo instantly offered. 

“How about a body pillow?” Nyma suggested. 

“Mm, not really feeling it, sorry,” Pidge said. 

“Guys, relax,” Shiro said. “I’ve got this. I have something I’ve been saving up for a while now, which I guarantee will make the cut. However, I’m not giving it up unless you guys really want this.” 

“Now I’m curious what it is that you have to offer,” Pidge said. 

“You’re not the only one,” Rolo agreed. 

“Me too, me too!” Nyma whined. 

“Me three,” Lance agreed. 

“Shush! Lanceykins, you’re not even in on this deal!” 

“Doesn’t mean I’m not curious.” 

“Sorry, but one of my conditions is secrecy. What it is goes no farther than Pidge and Matt,” Shiro said. 

“How about this, you tell Pidge what it is, and Pidge tells us whether or not it really is worth it,” Rolo suggested. 

“Okay, Pidge?” Shiro said. 

Lance didn’t hear anything for a moment, then next to him Shiro turned away and put a hand up by his mouth, but Lance still managed to hear Shiro whisper, “I’ve got a clip of Keith singing in the shower. That song from that old movie where the boat sinks.” 

Lance also heard Pidge’s laughter even before she reopened the comms to everyone. 

“Okay guys, it’s a win. I’m turning negotiations over to Shiro,” she said. 

“I offer up a manicure!” Nyma said. 

“Psht, forget that. I’m sure it must be so tiresome to go all the way to the robotics department to get maintenance on your arm, so how about I take care of your next check-up?” Rolo said. 

“Then I’m adding in a shoulder rub!” Nyma bid. 

“I’ll get some hot water with bath salts for a foot bath!” Rolo countered. 

“Tell you what,” Shiro interrupted. “The two of you wait on me hand and foot for a day, and we’ll call it a deal. But I expect that you two will somehow convince Hunk to make one of those pineapple-berry smoothies of his at some point, or else I get to be the only one to listen to Hunk’s speech.” 

“Oh god. Shiro, why?” Hunk asked. “Rolo’s offering to carry me and Nyma’s giving me her pouty lip! You could have just asked me if I could make one!” 

“It’s more fun this way,” Shiro said, winking at Lance. 

They cleared the second floor, and then the third and the fourth. On the fifth floor- the last level that actually had floors and not plank walkways- Keith came back on the comms. 

“I’ve found him. I’m going in for the arrest.” 

“Negative!” Shiro hissed back. “Wait for us to get there!” 

“Well then ditch the deadweight and hurry up,” Keith hissed back. 

Deadweight?! Did that unprintable word just call Lance DEADWEIGHT?!?!? Oh, it was on. It was so on. 

Lance set his jaw and looked Shiro dead in the eye. Shiro nodded, understanding that Lance was not about to slow things down. Together, they sped up, taking the shortest route to where their GPS said Keith’s Dominator was. Not even thirty seconds passed before they found him waiting outside a doorway, but from the way he huffed a quiet “finally”, you’d think it had taken thirty years instead. 

They went through the door and found a large room- probably a future meeting room- that didn’t yet have a ceiling. The suspect was huddled at the other end. He was curled up almost in a fetal position with his hands tucked to his abdomen, making it impossible to see them or anything he might be holding. Meaning they still didn’t know what kind of weapon he had. 

“We’re from the MWPSB,” Shiro said, taking the lead. “Surrender now or we will shoot.” 

“Hey, don’t you think this system is a little too cruel?” the suspect asked. “Anyone who’s not perfect gets locked away immediately. So everyone has to act perfect all the time, but when they do it makes them less perfect because it’s just an act until it comes to the point where they can’t act anymore. But don’t you think we want to be perfect too?” The suspect got to his feet, spreading his arms. His hands were empty- where was his weapon? “Don’t you ever wonder if maybe it’s not that we’ve become imperfect, but that we’re just so perfect that Sybil is jealous?” 

Something about the situation wasn’t right. Not just the missing weapon. What was- 

Lance spotted the crane out of the corner of his eye. It was already in motion, already coming to drop a ream of sheetwood on them. 

“Look out!” he yelled, and made to drag Keith and Shiro back. Shiro however, had also seen the crane, and beat him to it, throwing him and Keith across the room before diving after them. The sheetwood clattered to the floor where they’d just been while the suspect fled. Above them, Lance saw someone who looked just like the suspect jumping away from the crane controls. Keith saw it too, as he shoved Lance aside and rocketed off to give chase. 

“Wait, Keith!” Shiro called. He was ignored. 

“Uh, Hunk?” Lance said into the comms after Shiro helped him to his feet. 

“Yeah?” 

“I think there’s an accomplice. Looks just like our guy.” 

“Are you sure it wasn’t just a holo?” Rolo asked. “It’s a classic diversion strategy. It’s what I would do.” 

“Holos don’t bleed,” Shiro said stooping by where the suspect had been crouched. “And there’s fresh blood here. It’s definitely real. It has a scent and everything.” 

“I just checked, and it seems our guy did some work in cloning,” Pidge said. “Something to do with producing healthy livestock faster and more reliably. I guess he tried cloning himself.” 

“Now we know how his psycho-pass got clouded,” Nyma said. 

“Yeah, but which one’s the clone?” Lance asked. 

“I doubt it matters,” Pidge said. “I have a few theories on what might happen here, but the top two are that the clone will still be recognized by Sybil as the original, and have the same psycho-pass. Alternately, it will be recognized as its own self, but due to the knowledge that is an entity that shouldn’t exist and the fact that it and its original are on the run, it will still have a psycho-pass that is above regulation. So just treat it like the original and point and shoot.” 

“Well one is headed downwards, so we’ll leave that one to you Hunk,” Lance said. 

“Okay, we’re already at the ground floor so we should be seeing him soon,” Hunk panted. 

Lance and Shiro again followed their GPS to Keith and found him on the plank walkways of the sixth floor, engaging in a precarious fight with the suspect he’d chased. This suspect had a knife, and Keith was dodging frantically, trying to find a way to disarm him. 

“Stay back, Inspector,” Shiro said, and then maneuvered past Keith as he struggled for balance after a particularly wobbly dodge, and let the suspect stab his metal arm. Shiro wrenched the knife away, but the suspect shoved him and he fell to the floor below. 

“Shiro!” Keith screamed. 

“I’m okay,” Shiro said into the comms. Lance didn’t think Keith heard though. Keith was too busy flying at the suspect, who, with a shift in weight that was performed with admirable finesse, managed to grab Keith and swing him around and to the ground, and then pinned him there with a hand to Keith’s neck. 

Lance needed to do something. Keith was in trouble, and there was no one around to help but him. He aimed his Dominator. 

“Target’s Threat Judgment has been updated. Enforcement mode is Lethal Eliminator. Aim carefully and eliminate the target,”* the mechanical voice of the Dominator said. The gun rearranged itself for the new mode. 

Just as Lance pulled the trigger, Keith managed to push the suspect backwards. The shot caught the suspect mid-fall. 

Nothing could have prepared Lance for the carnage that followed. He stood, shocked, until his frazzled mind moved his mouth into saying “Well they never showed us that in training.” 

The wheels in his brain finally found traction and sent him rushing forward to check on the coughing enforcer ahead of him. He held Keith steady as the other man fought to clear his airway. 

“Keith! Keith, are you alright?” Lance yelped. 

Keith coughed some more. 

“I’m fine” cough “Shiro. Quit being” cough “such” cough “a worry-” Keith cut off as he turned and saw Lance. He managed a full five seconds of stunned silence before he coughed again. 

“Er, sorry. Not Shiro,” Lance said, feeling embarrassed for reasons that he didn’t understand at all. 

“N-no, you’re not,” Keith said awkwardly. “Er, nice shooting? Th-thanks for, uh, taking care of that, and also for not hitting me instead of him.” 

Lance’s eyes went wide as a realization hit him. 

“Oh. My. God. What was I thinking?! I shot that guy when you were right behind him- if he had fallen sideways, I would have hit you! And it was on Lethal Eliminator! Holy shit man! I am so sorry! I’ll try to be more careful in the future, I swear!” 

“Dude, calm down. I’m just an enforcer. It’s no big deal if I get killed.” 

“Of course it’s a big deal! You’re my colleague! Enforcer or inspector, it doesn’t matter, we’re still a team!” 

Keith coughed again, but Lance was maybe 27% sure there was a laugh mixed into it, since the corners of Keith’s mouth twitched upwards. Or maybe that was just a spasm. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. And we make a pretty good team, don’t we? No more bad guy.” 

Lance laughed weakly. 

“Yeah. Yeah, no more bad guy. Go us.” 

A hand clapped down on Lance’s shoulder and he shrieked. If it weren’t for the hand on his shoulder keeping him in place, he would have jumped so high he’d have ended up on a different floor. 

“Woah, easy there,” Shiro said. “Sorry inspector, I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“Can you make that noise again?” Keith asked, a small curious frown on his face. 

“Ke-ith,” Shiro chided. 

“You could ask me,” Pidge pointed out. 

“Recordings never sound quite the same,” Keith replied. 

“Well, I was going to ask if you two were alright, but I don’t think that’s necessary anymore,” Shiro said. “Keith is clearly fine and I just gave Lance a heart attack.” 

“So much for not denting poor Lanceykins,” Nyma said through the comms. 

“No, I’m fine,” Lance told them. “I was just a little startled.” 

“A little? I think you shuddered off a layer of skin,” Keith said. 

“Oh wow. Groundbreaking news, everyone. I think Keith has already accepted the new guy,” Pidge said. “That’s gotta be a record.” 

There was a chorus of awed noises that left Keith scowling. But Lance noticed Keith didn’t argue with Pidge’s assessment. And later, after Hunk’s team had taken care of the other suspect and the enforcers were getting back into their transport, Lance thought he saw Keith look back and give him a small nod. Maybe it was just his imagination. But if it was real, then Lance felt like he’d done well that day. Because if he had the approval of the grumpiest mulleted enforcer to ever enforce, he was pretty sure he’d already earned the highest honor any inspector could get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is also the name of the second OP for season 1 of Psycho-Pass.  
> Dialogue marked with and asterisk is taken directly from the Psycho-Pass anime. I own nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next few days, Lance came to the realization that having Keith’s approval and actually getting along with him were two completely different things. The guy skimped on words as if every syllable was painful to him, he left any room the moment someone else entered, and he was perpetually scowling. Lance had managed to connect with pretty much everyone else on the team, but Keith was still distant. He had managed to endear himself to Pidge and Matt with some choice puns, had talked beauty routines with Nyma, had won a ramen-slurping competition against Rolo (and had subsequently spent half an hour throwing up in the bathroom), and had gotten into a debate about Dominator sound effects with Shiro, but try as he might, he could not seem to reach Keith. He’d tried cracking jokes and been ignored. He’d tried complimenting Keith’s work and gotten an eye roll. Though then again, when the compliment was “I like how you’ve aligned your report, nice job,” maybe that wasn’t such a surprise. He’d even heard from the others that Keith liked motorcycles and had gone and researched them for two days, barely even sleeping, but most of what he’d learned hadn’t seemed very applicable to conversation-making, and so he’d given up the effort. But not before everyone except Keith had expressed concern over the bags under his eyes. 

On Lance’s fifth day, things were going slow, and so he thought he’d try out the training dummy in the gym. He got changed and filled up a water bottle and grabbed a towel, and set off. He reached the doors at the same time as Keith. 

“Oh. Were you…?” Lance trailed off, nervous. He’d kind of been hoping for some privacy in the gym. Even if he set things at the easiest level, he’d probably still get his ass handed to him. 

“Yeah,” Keith grunted. 

“Oh.” 

“You?” Oh crap. Lance felt his face freeze in an unconvincing smile and sweat began to form at his temples. 

“W-well, I was thinking about practicing with the dummy a bit, but uh, if that’s what you were planning I can come back another time.” His voice was unusually high. Not a full octave, but enough that it made Keith’s eyebrows twitch. Lance prayed that Keith also wanted to use the dummy so that he had an excuse to leave. 

Keith mumbled something that Lance didn’t quite catch. He wasn’t sure if Keith’s words had been too poorly articulated, or if it was just his brain that wasn’t keeping up. 

“What was that?” Lance asked. 

“I was gonna run,” Keith repeated. Lance began screaming internally. 

“Oh. C-cool. Running… Running is good. Will it bother you if I’m also in there?” 

Keith shrugged. 

“Not really.” 

“Oh. O-okay.” Lance felt like crying. Why? Why couldn’t this guy have given him the easy escape? Did he know Lance was bad at hand-to-hand and wanted an excuse to laugh at him? Lance had never heard Keith laugh before, and he really didn’t want this to be the way he found out what it sounded like. 

Keith pushed through the doors and Lance followed. The dreaded training dummy was waiting, ready to run any of the sequences programmed into it. 

“You need help working it?” Keith asked. Even as nervous as he was, Lance still found time to marvel at the fact that Keith had just strung together five whole words. 

“Uh, no. No I- I’m good. Thanks.” 

Keith stopped short of the treadmill he’d been headed to, and turned to look at Lance. Lance realized he was still just inside the doors, standing frozen as he eyed the stupid doombot he’d volunteered to fight. 

“You okay Inspector?” 

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just about to be mortally embarrassed, but other than that, totally fine.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Er, well, let’s just say that I’m here to practice because I, uh, I really _really_ need it.” 

“Huh?” 

Ugh, was he seriously going to make Lance say it. Lance buried his face in his hands. 

“I just happen to suck at hand-to-hand, okay? Like, I-almost-flunked-my-training-because-of-it bad.” 

“Oh.” 

Lance was certain the heat from his face was going to boil the water in his bottle. 

“I, uh, I could help you then?” 

Lance’s ears had to be deceiving him. He thought he’d just heard Keith offer to help him, but surely that was wrong. Keith was clearly a loner, so why would he voluntarily spend extra time with another human being? 

“If- if you want that is. But, like, hand-to-hand is kinda what I’m good at, right?” 

“Oh. That would be… Okay. Oh, but what about your run?” 

“Well just how bad are you?” 

Lance laughed woefully rather than actually put words to his response. Keith got the idea though. 

“That bad? Then we better-” 

“I’m telling you, if you let Pidge do the tune-ups on Beezer, it’ll be a nightmare!” Nyma shouted as she came through the door. 

“And I’m telling you that we need Matt’s help!” Rolo argued back, actually raising his voice. That was something Lance hadn’t heard before. 

“But if you get one of those gremlins involved, you get them both! They’re a package deal, Rolo! And- ooooo Lanceykins, hi there!” Nyma changed to a sing-song tone midshout and rushed forward to glomp Lance. It was pretty much standard between them now. 

“Hey Lance, here to work out?” Rolo asked. 

“Uh, yeah I was- Keith?” Keith was crossing back to the doors. 

“I’ll come back later,” Keith muttered. 

“Lancey-Lance, Lannnnnyyyyy,” Nyma whined. “Why didn’t you tell us you were gonna work out? We could have all come together! And I would have worn cuter gym clothes! It’s not worth dressing up for this gear-for-brains since he can’t appreciate it, but you actually understand cute things!” 

“Er, I didn’t think you’d be inter- you know what? I’ll be back in a sec,” Lance said, shoving Nyma off him and following out the door after Keith. The other man was already halfway down the hall. 

“Keith!” Lance called. Keith stopped and turned, looking bewildered. 

“Hey,” Lance said, jogging to catch up. “Um, so I guess maybe now ended up not being a good time, but I really would like that hand-to-hand help. If you’re still offering, that is. If not, then nevermind, I’ll work on it on my own, but, um, yeah. And thanks. For the offer. Even if it’s rescinded.” 

“It still stands,” Keith said. “Let me know when you want to work on it. It’s not like I’ll be going anywhere or anything.” 

“Oh. I- Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel obligated or-” 

“Uh, that was- that was supposed to be a joke. Sorry. I- I know I’m not funny.” 

“Oh. Ohhhhhh. Okay. I see. So that’s what your sense of humor is like then?” 

“I guess?” 

“Cool. I’ll try to remember so that next time you tell a joke I actually notice.” Lance laughed a little. 

“Kay. You should probably head back to Nyma. She gets really clingy.” 

“Yeah… Anyway, have a good night, okay?” 

Keith lifted a hand in a motionless wave as he retreated. Lance smiled. That had been… nice. A good talk. With Keith as a partner, anyway. He headed back to the gym and avoided the doombot, instead doing an ab routine with Rolo and Nyma. 

* * *

There were only two hours left of their shift when they got called out to a concert hall since someone with a cloudy hue had been detected entering the venue. They arrived to find a massive throng of people, so populous that it spilled out into the streets surrounding the building. It was a disaster waiting to happen. 

“We can’t go in there,” Shiro said over the comms. “People see us they’re going to panic and we’ll end up raising the area stress. Same with the drones.” 

“So we don’t let them see us,” Lance suggested. Hunk turned to look at him in disbelief, and the others made noises of confusion, causing him to roll his eyes. “Guys, it’s not like this is the 21st century or anything. It’s 2115. We have holos!” 

“Well duh,” Nyma said. “Or do you really think I have purple retinas?” 

“Exactly. We change the holos on our clothes and put holos on our Dominators so they look like… like glow sticks. At a concert, tons of people will have them.” 

“Seriously?” Keith groaned. “Glow sticks?” 

“No, it’s a good idea,” Rolo said. “We can point our Dominators at people while making it look like dancing, and that way no one will be any bit the wiser that we’re there, or that we’re checking them out. Which, since we have no suspect information, we’ll have to do.” 

“Pidge, you think you can whip us up some glow stick holos for out Dominators?” Hunk asked. 

“Can a bee pollinate a flower?” Pidge asked in their ears. 

“Great. Let’s go park around the block so no one will see us,” Hunk said, motioning Lance to move the car. Lance had already become the designated driver between the two of them. “I’ll try calling the other divisions for back-up since that’s going to be tough to search alone, but I don’t know if we can expect any help.” 

“You can’t,” Pidge replied. “8th had a nasty one yesterday, half their people are still recuperating, 9th is already dealing with an incident of their own, and the inspectors in the 10th would never lift a finger for anyone else. You’re on your own guys.” 

“Well that’s peachy,” Rolo grumbled. 

They parked just out of sight of the concert-goers and geared up. Lance and Nyma were both able to use outfits they already had programmed into their clothing holos, but the rest of the group had to wait for Pidge to work her magic and pray they weren’t too mortified by the results. When Pidge was done, they didn’t look bad, but Shiro looked very uncomfortable with the way his sleeveless top showed off his metal arm, and it took a couple of tries to find a color scheme that actually worked for Hunk. 

“Given that Nyma and Lance seem most adapted to this environment, I think I’ll keep Rolo and Nyma with me as usual and Shiro and Keith will stay with Lance,” Hunk said. “I was hoping to switch things up since Lance has been doing pretty well and it’d be good to work with different groups every now and then, but I guess we’ll have to wait until next time.” 

“You put new guy with those two and they’ll be too busy playing around to get anything done,” Keith quipped, and Lance made a face. Every time he thought that he and Keith were getting closer, the guy made commentary like that and proved Lance wrong. 

“Ugh, always so serious,” Nyma drawled. 

“Nyma, let’s go,” Hunk said, defusing the situation before Nyma and Keith could get into a real argument. Lance had witnessed one once so far, and it had made Hunk’s statement that the two didn’t get along seem like the understatement of the millennium. 

Lance waved as Hunk, Rolo, and Nyma all left, then checked over Keith and Shiro one last time. Was there anything in their appearance that would give them away or make them seem out of place? No. They both looked good. 

_Beyond good actually. Natural lookers, both of them._

Okay, if his thoughts were gonna go there then it was time to follow after the others. 

“You guys ready?” Lance asked with a grin. He got a couple of long-suffering sighs and half-hearted nods in response. 

They rounded the corner and merged into the crowd. They pushed their way through the sea of people, Lance taking the lead and Shiro and Keith wading in his wake. When they reached the doors, Lance flashed his badge, and turned to gesture to Shiro and Keith and say they were with him, but found only a red-faced and panting Keith. Shiro was nowhere to be seen. 

“Where’s Shiro?” Lance asked. 

“He’s right-” Keith said, turning around, and then stopped and stared at the absence of the other enforcer. “Ah shit. I forgot. Shiro’s really weak to girls. He probably got mobbed and panicked. Again.” 

“Uh, do we try to find him or just go in?” 

“Just authorize his entry so that when he gets here he can get in. If we go back for him, we’ll probably just end up losing him before we get here again.” 

“Alright.” Lance did as Keith suggested and the two of them entered the venue, They squeezed their way through a crowded atrium and through one of many sets of double doors into the main hall. 

On the stage was some band or other that Lance didn’t know. He’d kept up with music in the past, but recently he’d fallen out of the loop a bit. When he’d last tried to catch back up, he’d found out some of his favorite bands had lost their licenses to play, and one band had even lost a member because of psycho-pass issues. 

The music wasn’t Lance’s favorite, but he began dancing anyway. It was half-instinctive and halfway because he knew that standing still would make them more noticeable. 

“What are you doing?” Keith hissed, reaching out to grab Lance’s wrist before he could raise his arms above his head. 

“Dancing. This is a concert. People dance at concerts.” 

“You’re leaving yourself wide open! If it were me, I could kill you in at least a dozen different ways before you could even react!” 

“But it’s not you we’re after. Now stop making a scene and just dance with me.” 

Keith’s mouth opened and closed without articulating anything, making him look like a fish. He growled and released Lance’s hand, but Lance was pleased to see the man at least begin to move his hips and shoulders a little. It was hardly dancing, but it was at least a start. 

Lance began to lead the way through the crowd, dancing between people- and sometimes taking a few beats to dance with them. He tried at first to check on people’s crime coefficients with his Dominator, but he soon realized the futility of it. There were just so many people, constantly moving, that even if his Dominator managed to keep up (it did- barely) he couldn’t. After being barraged by more numbers than he could keep track of, none of which were above regulation level, he gave up on the effort, and instead decided to focus only on people who seemed suspicious for whatever reason. 

A hand grabbed the back of Lance’s shirt, and he turned to find Keith, his arm squeezing between two people he was pressed up against in order to reach Lance. Oops. Some inspector he was, having already lost one enforcer and almost leaving the other behind as well. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Keith apologized to the people he had inconvenienced as he pushed his way over to Lance. “Sorry,” he said again, this time to Lance, as he released Lance’s shirt. 

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t even notice I was getting ahead. So here’s a solution.” Lance grabbed Keith’s hand with a wicked grin. “We hold hands from now on.” 

The concert hall had orange lighting and pink smoke used for atmosphere, so it was hard to be certain, but Keith’s cheeks might have colored when Lance grabbed his hand. Maybe. 

Or maybe it was just wishful thinking. 

Just in case, Lance grabbed Keith’s other hand as well, and led him through the crowd as if they were doing an old-fashioned dance he’d seen once- he thought it was called a waltz. 

Keith wasn’t looking at him. 

At first Lance thought the other man was embarrassed, or maybe disgusted, but then he realized Keith was searching the crowd for anyone suspicious. Always focused on the job, that Keith. Okay. 

Lance began to survey the crowd as well. He soon found someone who stood out. 

“When I twirl you, keep an eye out for the girl with green feathers in her hair,” he said, and then twirled Keith around. “Did you see her?” he asked once Keith was facing him again. 

“Yeah.” 

“Think she’s our cloud?” 

Keith scoffed. 

“No way.” 

“You sure? She seems pretty unhappy.” 

“Unhappy and clouded aren’t the same thing. She’s just sulking. She was probably dragged here by her friends and then they went to get drinks without her. She’s just out of her element. Check her hue.” 

Lance aimed his Dominator, carefully avoiding a dancer who entered his line of sight to point at the girl. He finally had her hue. 

“58,” he said aloud. “Damn, how did you do that?” 

“That’s why they keep me around.” 

“But still- oh, old woman with the retro knit purse. Which is very stylish, by the way.” 

“Her psycho-pass can’t be higher than 30," Keith drawled disdainfully. "She has eyes like only a sweet old lady who is genuinely a sweet old lady can have.” 

“You’d better be right, because I’m taking your word for it.” 

They danced together for over an hour, then another, periodically checking in with the others over comms. It was amazing to Lance, how despite the noise of the crowd and the concert, he could still hear the comms just fine. 

It was Keith who spotted the guy. 

“Your 9:00,” he said. “There’s a guy with cat ears just staring at the stage. It’s him.” 

Lance spotted the guy. 

“You sure?” Lance asked, not convinced. The guy didn’t look like a threat at all. Then again, so had some of the people Lance had suggested, but they’d at least had the wrong clothes or the wrong expressions. This guy just looked normal. 

Lance aimed his gun and almost whistled. 198. Keith was right. Lance nodded at Keith, then dropped Keith’s hands. 

“You stay here,” he ordered. “I’m going to go talk to him for a bit.” 

“What?!” Keith squawked. “But-” 

Lance was already halfway to the guy. He heard Keith huff angrily and start to follow. He tried not to cringe. Sure, not following orders was kind of Keith’s thing, but just once couldn’t he have listened? 

“Hey, how’s it going?” Lance asked. 

The guy turned towards Lance and blinked several times, as if he’d been unaware that anyone was there. 

“I- I’m… alright. I’m alright.” 

“Glad to hear it. You enjoying the concert?” 

“A little. It’s a bit… hard… though. I have to turn myself in after.” 

That was unexpected. This guy was planning to turn himself in? 

“My hue is clouded,” the guy continued. “I think I might be crazy. I hear voices that don’t exist, and sometimes they take over. I haven’t hurt anyone yet, or at least I think I haven’t, but I can’t be sure. I don’t want to hurt them. But I- I always loved concerts, and so I wanted to go to one, one last time before they lock me away.” 

“It must have been really hard for you up until now,” Lance said softly. 

“Sometimes,” the guy replied. “But isn’t it hard for everyone, just in different ways?” 

“Maybe you’re right,” Lance said. “But still, not everyone has voices that are trying to cloud their hues.” 

“Perhaps not. I suppose you’d know better than me though. You are from the MWPSB, aren’t you?” 

Lance didn’t even have time to register his surprise before Keith was shoving in front of him protectively. 

“Keith, calm down!” Lance ordered. Not that Keith actually would or anything, but he wanted to show good will and Keith wasn’t helping. 

“I thought maybe that was the case,” the guy said. “I’m glad. I might have lost my resolve if I had to go on my own, or one of the voices might have taken over. Though it would have been nice to stay until the end.” 

“We don’t have to leave now,” Lance soothed. “We can wait until the end.” 

“No,” the guy shook his head. “The voices might take over by then. A couple of them are already whispering that I should run. One even thinks I should hit you. Please. Let’s go. I want to stay me.” 

“Okay,” Lance said, and offered his hand. The guy took it, and the two of the headed back towards the entrance, Keith following after as he alerted the others via comms that they had found the clouded individual. 

They were the first to reach the vehicles. When they got there, Lance went ahead and cuffed the guy, then sent him to sit in the transport truck for the enforcers and now for their suspect as well. Before the doors sealed him in, however, the guy made one last request. 

“Will you- will you check on my family? I- I’m scared that I- If I hurt anyone, it would have been them. Please?” 

Lance nodded. 

“Of course. I’ll let you know.” 

“No. Don’t. If I did hurt them, I don’t think I can bear it.” 

“Okay.” Lance let the doors closed as Shiro arrived at the vehicles. 

“Great job guys,” he said. “Sorry I wasn’t there to help. Did he give you any trouble?” 

“No,” Lance said shaking his head. “He actually said he intended to turn himself in.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. Is that unusual?” 

“Kinda, yeah. A lot of people are assume that if you so much as get therapy, you will lose your job, so if we come after them, they think it’s the end. Which often times, ends up making it the end. It’s sad, really. They never even give us a chance to explain that the laws state that unless an individual has had repeated therapy sessions with no improvement in their hue, they cannot be fired until they have been declared a latent criminal.” 

The rest of the team arrived, and they got back in their vehicles and headed back to headquarters. But before Lance could write his report, he had one last stop to make. 

* * *

Keith wasn’t sure what to make of the new inspector. He tended to be slow to warm up to people, and had been sullen about Allura’s impending promotion away from their little group for weeks before it had actually happened. He’d sworn he didn’t want anything to do with any new faces on the team, and was not going to like the new inspector at all. And yet… 

What was it about Lance McClain? 

He was… loud. Then again, Keith found most people loud. 

He was… attractive. That much was undeniable. You’d have to be blind to miss it, and Keith’s eyesight was better than average. 

He was… annoying. Except not really. Sure he was always cracking jokes, and by all rights Keith should find that aspect of Lance to be insufferable, but it was somehow kinda endearing in Lance. In fact, Keith might almost even say Lance was… funny. 

He was… sweet. The way he’d been concerned about the idea of shooting Keith, and the way he clearly wanted to get to know everyone simply for the sake of getting to know them and getting along with them, and the way he cared about people in general. In the week and a half since Lance had started, Keith had seen it over and over. The way Lance worried about people who might get hurt when their team was on the hunt. The way Lance doggedly tried to learn the techniques Keith taught him for fighting- despite the fact that Lance had managed to give himself a black eye with his own knee- all because it might be necessary for protecting someone someday. 

He was… oh, forget it. Most of Keith’s impressions of Lance came from his appearance. Sure, Keith had gotten ample opportunity to see that Lance was also a lovable person based on his personality, but part of the reason he’d noticed such things was because he could hardly take his eyes off of this man that made him want to run to a thesaurus and look up every synonym he could find for “beautiful”. Handsome. Gorgeous. Dreamy. Exquisite. And honestly, Keith half-expected to find Lance’s name listed there as well. 

Did any of those observations help Keith figure out how to interact with Lance? No. If anything, they confused him more. He wanted them to be friends, but what if he started to want more than that? And did Keith even know how to be friends with someone? Probably not. 

At times like these, Keith went to Shiro. Shiro understood him better than anyone. And Shiro would know what to do. 

“What’s up?” Shiro asked when Keith knocked on his door. Keith plopped down on the couch in Shiro’s room with a moan, and Shiro, recognizing the moan as Keith-speak for “I’m having feels and don’t know how to deal with them”, dropped the cat toy he’d been dangling in front of his pet kitten and gave Keith his full attention. 

“Seriously Keith, what’s wrong?” 

“What do you think of the new inspector?” Keith asked. 

Shiro considered the question. 

“I’m not sure yet. Part of me thinks he’ll make a good inspector, and part of me thinks he’s putting on a front and that he’s going to break in about a month.” 

“You don’t think he can cut it?” 

“I don’t know. Like I said, I’m not sure. I’ve seen guys like him before, who come into this job and try to get along with everyone. But then it turns out that really they’re just being nice to cover up a deep loathing and fear of enforcers. I want to believe Lance isn’t like that, but I can’t be certain yet. Which really scares me, since if he does snap, I’m most likely to feel it. Inspectors that fear enforcers resent the ones who used to be inspectors most, since they’re afraid of having the same outcome. So I guess, I think he’s a good guy, but experience tells me that I’m being too optimistic. What about you?” 

“I think I might like him.” 

“Good for you.” Shiro reached down and began to rub the kitten’s head, eliciting a purr from it. “It hasn’t even been two weeks yet. Usually it takes you a couple months at least, and since you were so determined not to like anyone who replaced Allura, I thought we’d never see the day you actually accepted a new inspector. Though that is partly because of the high turnover rate.” 

“No, Shiro, I mean I think I _like_ him.” 

Shiro’s eyes went wide and his hand stilled. 

“Oh no,” he said hoarsely. “Keith, you-” 

“I _know_.” Keith got to his feet and began pacing restlessly, running his hands through his hair. “I know, Shiro! I know that it’s impossible, I know that I need to stop before it gets worse, but _how_? How do I make myself stop liking him when he’s got that _smile_ and those _eyes_ and he does stupid amazing things like, like spinning his chair in circles when he’s bored, or-or-or challenging me to races when we’re hunting latent criminals, or oh my god, Shiro, at that concert he was actually _dancing._ And then _we_ were dancing. And just- I can’t do this! I can’t not like him, and that scares me, because I know there’s no way that I _can_ like him, and just- what do I do?” Keith stopped to turn and stare at Shiro. There were tears in his eyes, and if he were with anyone other than Shiro, he would have been ashamed of himself, but it was Shiro and so tears were okay. Shiro was the only person he would ever let see him cry. 

“Oh Keith,” Shiro sighed. “I’m so sorry. If-” 

Keith shook his head before Shiro could continue. No. They were not having this conversation again. Shiro always seemed to think it was his fault that Keith had ended up becoming a latent criminal, but Keith was pretty sure it would have happened before long anyway. After all, he’d been on medications to keep his hue clear since he was a kid. But meds were a solution that couldn’t work indefinitely, and Keith had never liked taking them anyway. So what if Shiro had been demoted to an enforcer and Keith had lost his guardian yet again? Plenty of things could have been a trigger. Shiro’s demotion had just happened first. 

“I wish he’d never come here,” Keith sniffed. “If it had been anyone else, things would have been okay, but it’s him, and he’s just- I want him Shiro. I liked dancing with him. He makes me laugh. I didn’t mind being an enforcer before, but now it feels like a curse, and it’s all his fault!” 

“Keith, you don’t mean that,” Shiro said, picking up his kitten and cradling it to his shoulder as he came over to Keith. 

“I don’t know,” Keith whined. “I liked it when it was simpler. Back when I felt like I was doing something right for once.” 

“I know it’s not easy buddy. Love rarely is. You’ll- I’m sure you’ll get over it with time.” 

“But what if I don’t?!” 

“Then… I really don’t know. I guess you could quit. Or maybe see about transferring to another division.” 

“Or I could keep my feelings to myself,” Keith murmured, leaning his forehead against Shiro’s free shoulder. “I’m good at that, after all. Just bottle it all up and lock it away.” 

“One, you’re mixing metaphors there, and two, whenever you bottle things up you always end up exploding after a while. The last thing anyone needs is you doing something drastic because of your feelings for him.” 

“High turnover rate. You said it yourself. He probably won’t be here much longer. Or maybe I’ll get killed in action or something. You never know.” 

“And what if he lasts? Because I have no intention of letting you die on the job. Your dad trusted me to look after you. I’ve already failed by becoming a latent criminal and dragging you down with me. I’m not going to let you get killed.” 

“Accidents happen, Shiro. All it takes is one badly aimed shot at someone with a coefficient over 300. You’re in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that’s it. You can’t shield me from everything.” 

“True. Because if I could you would never have ended up here. And even if you had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation because I’d have a way to protect you from getting a broken heart.” 

“Yeah. Thanks. Can I hold your cat?” 

“Sure. Good thing she likes you. She hisses at most people if they come too near.” 

Shiro handed over the kitten and Keith sat back down. Just for a while, he thought he’d try cuddling this tiny little life. It might not solve his problem, but it did make him feel just a little bit better.


	3. Chapter 3

When Lance got back from visiting the family of the guy they’d arrested at the concert hall, he sat down heavily. The visit had been disheartening, and he still had paperwork regarding the arrest to take care of. It was already three hours since their shift had officially ended. He was tired. He just wanted to go home. Get something to eat. Maybe shower. Sleep. But in his way was paperwork. 

“Go home, Lance,” Hunk said, coming into their office with a mug of coffee. “It’s going to take a while to get everything done, and if we’re both walking around half-dead tomorrow from exhaustion, District Chief Haggar is bound to come for a surprise inspection and then she’s going to chew us out for both being overtired. Go get some rest. I’ll take care of everything I can, and you can finish off the rest tomorrow.” 

One thing Lance had learned in his week-and-a-half at the MWPSB was that Hunk, while usually pretty complacent and willing to let others take charge, got very stubborn when it came to taking care of people. On Lance’s third day, Rolo had developed a runny nose, and despite his assurances that he was fine and he’d get it taken care of in the med bay, Hunk had insisted that Rolo drink some orange juice, suck on some cough drops, eat an apple, and wrap up in a blanket. He’d even insisted on taking Rolo’s temperature. Hunk also had gotten angry at Lance for not finishing off his entire water bottle after a run, and had even managed to force a dietary smoothie on Pidge because apparently Pidge did not pay enough attention to nutrition. 

So when Hunk told Lance to go home, Lance knew there was no use in arguing with him, and complied. He went home. He ate. He took that shower, and oh did that feel nice. And then he slept deeply, despite the guilt of dumping all the work on Hunk. 

The next day went pretty smoothly. He came in half an hour early, got his part of the reports done, and then there was nothing to do for a while. The benefit of the Sybil system was that it kept crimes pretty low. It was good for society as a whole, though it did have a tendency to leave those who worked to prevent crime with a lot of free time. And right now, free time was not a good thing, as it allowed Lance to think too much about the events of yesterday. 

Not that he minded thinking about yesterday, since certain parts had been really good. Like the part where Keith had turned out to be a surprisingly good dance partner once he relaxed. When he was like that, Lance really just wanted time to stop and leave the two of them alone for a while, but then Keith always went and said rude things that made Lance remember how much Keith must hate him. 

Unfortunately, it was not the good parts of yesterday that Lance kept thinking about. It was the part where he went to see the family. They’d thanked him for taking the time to come inform them of the arrest, but politely told him that they no longer gave a damn about the arrestee. He hadn’t hurt any of them, but a year before he’d ended up trying to rip apart some bed sheets with a wooden spoon. It had been a stressful event for them, they said, and so they’d been forced to kick him out and sever all ties with him lest they become clouded too. 

That disgusted Lance. To abandon someone who needed help because you cared more about your own hue than about an actual human being was just despicable to him. It was clear that the guy had been just as scared as everyone else, and while they maybe couldn’t have stopped such things from happening without medical help, they could at least have dealt with it together. Had their society truly become so inhumane? 

Halfway through the shift, an alert mercifully showed up and kept them busy for the afternoon. Lance got to work with Rolo and Nyma for the first time. Hunk managed to arrest the suspect before Lance, Rolo, and Nyma did anything of note, but it wasn’t because of the slacking off Keith had predicted. Rolo and Nyma impressed Lance with their ability to be efficient like a well-oiled machine while still keeping up their banter. It made Lance wonder if maybe they and Hunk had been holding back to let Lance feel like he was actually doing something, especially when he noticed how the Beezers- police drones that Rolo and Nyma had modified- helped in their search efforts. 

Lance was just finishing his part of the current day’s report when an unfamiliar man walked in. He was dark-skinned with a shaven head and a neatly trimmed goatee, and was missing his left eye. 

“Mitch!” Shiro called cheerfully. 

“Shiro! Long time no see! It seems like every time I come around this place, you’re somewhere else. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.” 

“As if. What’s up?” 

“The ninth division just sent out a call for backup. We all know the tenth won’t bother to show, which means it’s either your group or mine. But your group just had an incident of your own, AND you’re supposed to be clocking out soon. But Kaltenacker, Kinkade, and Rizavi are all still down after our last outing, and me, Griffin, and Leifsdottir just won’t be enough. I know you guys are tired, but if we get another inspector and at least one more enforcer, it would be a huge help.” 

“I think we can manage that,” Shiro said. “But of course Inspector Garret’s gotta be the one to make the call. Hunk?” 

“Yeah, of course we’ll help out,” Hunk said, because he was a big softie who didn’t like to turn people down. 

“Great. Thanks so much,” the visitor said. 

“No problem," Shiro said. "Obviously I’m in. You’ve been a big help over the years, and I won’t forget that.” 

“I’m coming too,” Keith said automatically. Not for the first time, Lance wondered what was between Keith and Shiro. He kept meaning to ask, but never quite got around to it. It felt too much like prying just yet. Maybe when he knew them a bit better… 

“And we still need an inspector,” Shiro said, nodding, though Lance noticed he threw Keith a questioning sort of glance. 

Lance glanced at Hunk and saw the other man already opening his mouth to volunteer. But two could play at the stubbornly-looking-after-others game, and Lance was a fast-talker. 

“I’ll go,” Lance offered. 

“Lance, you sure? It’s been a long day,” Hunk said. 

“Hunk, it probably feels long to you since you stayed late to take care of things yesterday. You’re beat. I’m not. If you go, you’ll only trip over your own feet when you fall asleep on them, so leave this one to me, okay?” 

“Alright then,” Shiro said. “Though Keith, are you absolutely sure you want to come? I thought you hated everyone in the eighth division.” 

“I do,” Keith grumbled. “Which is why I need to be there to watch your back so they don’t stab it.” 

Okay, now Lance really wanted to know more about Keith and Shiro’s interpersonal relationship, and their relationship with the eighth division as well. 

As Lance stood up, the visitor came over to him and held out his right hand at a perfect 90 degree angle. 

“Mitch Iverson. I’m the senior inspector of the eighth division,” he introduced briskly. 

“Er, Lance McClain. Inspector and new guy. Seventh division,” Lance replied, reaching out to take the hand that was offered. “Nice to meet you.” 

Iverson didn’t return the phrase. Lance didn’t let it get to him. 

“Your job would never have been open if Shiro hadn’t been unfairly demoted,” Iverson said instead. Lance didn’t let this get to him either. 

“Mitch, that sounds really mean,” Shiro said. 

“Shiro, I’m not Kogane. You don’t have to mother me.” 

“Yeah, Shiro,” Keith agreed. “He’s perfectly aware when he’s being an ass.” 

“Keith, don’t,” Shiro scolded. “And Mitch, while I know you’re just trying to make sure Lance doesn’t disregard things I say because I’m an enforcer now, you don’t need to bother. He’s a good inspector, and knows when to listen to the enforcers. So quit making it sound like he doesn’t deserve the job, because he does.” 

“Well you have to admit, the circumstances leading up to-” 

“Enough! Mitch.” 

“So, um, should we go now?” Lance asked, trying to break the tension that was building. 

“Yes. It’d be faster if we took two cars rather than taking a transport truck,” Iverson said. 

“Cool.” Lance nodded, and they headed down to the garage while Iverson went to get his enforcers. 

“Asshole,” Keith muttered. “If your demotion is anyone’s fault, it’s his.” 

“Keith, don’t you start too,” Shiro sighed tiredly. Lance pursed his lips in order to stay silent. 

_Don’t ask don’t ask don’t ask don’t ask don’t ask don’t- gaaaaaa I wanna know! No. Don’t go nosing into other peoples’ business. It’s probably not something Shiro wants to talk about, so just respect that and leave it alone._

They'd just gotten on the road when Lance’s phone rang, and he jumped. He really was going to have to work on staying calm in tense situations. Three C’s and all that. He answered the call, maintaining his usual cheerful greeting despite the fact that the name hovering above his wrist computer was Mitch Iverson. 

“Helloo Inspector McClain speaking, how are you today?” 

“Inspector McClain, about the case we’re heading to,” Iverson said, without so much as a “well hello to you too,” or “I’m doing great, thanks for asking.” Not even a comment about the weather. Yeesh. “We’re only there to provide backup. The ninth division will conduct all the relevant investigations.” 

“Got it. So what do they need help with?” Lance asked. 

“A fire spread in the northwestern ward. Four buildings ended up being isolated, and there were people trapped inside. The ninth already evacuated one building and they’re working on another, but they won’t be able to evacuate everyone safely on their own.” 

“How did a fire spread that badly?” Lance asked. “I mean, what about the alarms? The anti-fire measures? Didn’t any of that kick in?” 

“The ninth will conduct all relevant investigations. Just focus on making sure no one with a clouded hue leaves the area. Which will be most of the people you evacuate, as the area stress is quite high. I recommend clearing a path for evacuation and then letting them come to you.” 

“Understood inspector.” 

“I want you to take the southeast building. Can you handle that?” 

“Yes sir.” 

“Good.” Iverson hung up. 

“So, uh, was I understanding correct and he’s saying to just stand around, wait for people to come out of a burning building, and then point and shoot?” Lance asked Keith and Shiro. 

“That was the gist of it, yes,” Shiro sighed. 

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Lance growled. “Treating them like criminals just because they got caught up in something outside they’re control? That’s bullshit.” 

“Bullshit or not, it’s our orders,” Shiro said. “As senior inspector-” 

“I know the protocol, Shiro. I know what I’m supposed to do.” 

“Good.” 

“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.” 

There was a moment of stunned silence before both Shiro and Keith began to protest. 

“That’s insane!” Keith gasped. 

“Inspector, you’re going to cloud your hue!” Shiro protested. 

“Maybe.” Lance’s response was to both comments. 

“Lance, you’re new. You’ve only just started this job. Don’t throw it away. Don’t make the same mistakes I did,” Shiro pleaded. 

“Well, let me ask you guys this: do you think that doing the thing that won’t cloud your hue is always right?” 

“Of course it is!” Shiro yelped. 

“Is it? Because it seems to me that once people start worrying about keeping their hue clear, that’s the moment they stop being good people. They don’t care about others, only their hue.” 

“But-” 

“Let me give you an example. My grandfather, the last time we went to visit him before he died, he couldn’t recognize me at all. Had no clue who ‘Lance’ was. Thought I was my dad. And I let him think that the whole time we were there, because whenever someone he didn’t recognize came into the room, he thought they were trying to kill him. It was pretty miserable for me too, since I was always grandpa’s favorite and he doted on me like crazy, but he never really forgave my dad for stealing away his daughter, and so that whole visit he kept cussing me out and telling me to stay away from my sister, who he thought was my mom. But I knew I would rather deceive him, even though deceit clouds your hue, than scare him to death right then and there by telling him I wasn’t someone he knew. Just like right now. Obeying orders is best for my hue. But I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.” 

“He’s got a point, Shiro,” Keith said. 

“I know he does. But you’ll definitely get on Mitch’s bad side with this one, and he holds grudges.” 

“I can live with that,” Lance said, and pressed harder on the accelerator. If they were going to do this, they needed to get there fast. Besides, Hunk wasn’t in the car, so Lance could really let go now, right? 

When they arrived, Lance and Keith got out of the car right away, but Shiro sat shaking for a moment before getting out and gasping at Lance, “You- You drive almost as insanely as Keith!” 

“I think I’m offended,” Lance replied. 

“Don’t listen to him. He’s the one who taught me to drive. I just do what he showed me,” Keith said. 

“No you don’t!” Shiro argued. “It’s a lot less scary when I do it!” 

Keith rolled his eyes, and Lance laughed once before getting serious. 

“Okay. Because there’s people in there, we’re going to have to use water. We can use that to clear a path, and then use a loudspeaker to tell the people inside where to go. Not everyone will be able to come to us, so once everyone’s come out that can, two of us will go in to search for anyone else.” 

“And how do you intend to keep people from leaving?” Keith asked. 

“We should be able to cordon the area off.” 

“The cordons are just holos. People in a panic might run right through them.” 

“So we’ll have to stop them from panicking before they do that.” 

“It sounds as good a plan as any,” Shiro said. “Though times have truly changed. A hundred years ago, this would have been considered a small fire. But people these days are so unable to deal with the unexpected that they freeze and so they get trapped even when they could get out.” 

“Well, it’s not a hundred years ago, so we have to take care of these people. Let’s get started,” Lance ordered. 

They were able to get a hose and clear a path to the main entrance fairly easily, and so Lance went on the loudspeaker and announced the evacuation route to the people inside. Within seconds, a woman was already running out. Lance moved to intercept her, tell her everything was all right and that she was safe, but she shoved him and kept running, heading straight for the cordon. It was just like Keith said. 

It was then that Lance realized he’d made a miscalculation, and that his plan just wasn’t going to work. Shiro was right. People didn’t know how to deal with fires. And people feared things they had no way of dealing with most of all. 

Keith managed to get between the woman and the cordon and stop her. However, she was still struggling. 

“Keith, let her go,” Lance called. 

“She’s going to run!” Keith protested. 

“I know,” Lance replied. “But I kinda promised myself I wouldn’t shoot when there was a risk of hitting an enforcer instead.” 

Keith glanced over his shoulder and saw that Lance had gotten to his feet and gotten his Dominator out. Keith released the woman and stepped out of Lance’s way. Lance shot. 

The woman fell to the ground, paralyzed. 

“Forget what I said,” Lance told Keith and Shiro. “I think we may need to follow orders here after all.” 

“Yes sir,” both of them confirmed. But Shiro laid a hand on Lance’s shoulder. 

“Are you sure?” he asked in a whisper. “The others might be calmer.” 

“No,” Lance sighed. “They won’t be. I think that this time ‘point and shoot’ might be the only way. I just hope we don’t end up using the eliminator on too many of them.” 

“You tried to do what you thought was best,” Keith said, bringing the unconscious woman over. “That’s all you can do, Inspector.” 

“Yeah. I know,” Lance replied. As more people came out and they began using their Dominators indiscriminately, Lance hoped that Keith and Shiro didn’t see the tears that escaped his eyes. 

In the end, there were four people who they used the Lethal Eliminator on. There were almost a dozen more who they paralyzed. Only one person had to be rescued. And then they got to go home. 

On the outside, Lance stayed calm the whole time. But inside, he felt as if every cell was shaking. 

* * *

As soon as they got back, Keith went to get something to eat. He was hungry. He hadn’t gotten to eat after their earlier chase, and then they’d had to go deal with the fire. 

He supposed he could have just not gone. But Shiro was going, and he didn’t want to leave Shiro alone with the eighth division. He knew deep down that it wasn’t their fault, but at the same time, he just couldn’t seem to forgive them. And sure, maybe Rolo could have been trusted to watch Shiro’s back (not Nyma though. She would walk all over Shiro given half a chance) but then Lance had also volunteered, and there was no way Keith could abandon both Shiro AND Lance. Just no. That was like a deadly combo right there. For Keith anyway. 

Keith was halfway through his ham steak when Lance appeared. Keith ignored Lance at first, or tried to, but he could hardly stop himself from watching out of the corner of his eye as Lance requisitioned a plate of his own. Keith focused on his plate as soon as Lance turned to face the tables, not wanting to be caught ogling the other man, and so it caught him off guard when Lance spoke up from right beside him. 

“Do you mind if I join you? If it’s a bother, I can go away, but I thought I’d ask since I don’t like eating alone, and, uh…” 

“Sure,” Keith said after a rough swallow that probably should have waited until after he’d chewed a bit more. “I mean, I’m sure you’d rather have better company than just me, but I don’t mind.” 

“Just you?” Lance scoffed as he sat down. “You make it sound like you’re super loathsome or something. But honestly, when you’re not being a grouch you’re pretty good company.” 

“Thanks for the backhanded compliment.” 

“Or you could ignore the backhanded aspect of it and just take the compliment.” Lance grinned, and Keith felt like he was dying. This man was going to kill him. 

“Well I just don’t see how I can be good company. I don’t really talk much or anything.” 

“Yeah,” Lance said, leaning in. “But that can be a good thing, you know. Especially when you have a person who talks all the time like I do, it’s often good to have someone who doesn’t talk much. You don’t even have to listen. You can just zone out and every time there’s a bit of a lull in my speech, you just make a noncommittal grunt of some sort and I’m satisfied. Though I guess my prattling might not be a background noise you really want, huh?” 

“That’s- it’s fine. Really.” 

“If you say so. But feel free to tell me if I ever start to bug you. I’d rather know early on so I can back off before you start to hate me. Or in your case, hate me more than you already do.” 

“I don’t hate you, inspector. I’m just… slow to warm up to people.” 

_And also trying not to tell you how much I want to take you back to my room._

“Really? Glad to know. It would be a little weird having fighting lessons from someone who hates my guts, right? Oh, about that. If we have time tomorrow, do you want to have another one? Maybe you could teach me that grab you used tonight.” 

_Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes_ screamed Keith’s mind. 

“Uh, about that,” Keith said aloud. “I’m not sure continuing the lessons is such a good idea.” The look of hurt disbelief on Lance’s face was a direct jolt to Keith’s heart. 

“What? Why?” 

What Keith meant to say was some spiel about “You’ve improved enough that you should be able to continue training on your own, and also it’s probably best for an enforcer and an inspector to not get too close.” 

Unfortunately, his brain chose that moment to give his thoughts a direct conduit to his mouth, and so what actually came out was “Because at the rate things are going I’m really going to fall in love with you.” 

“Wait what?” 

Lance’s reply was what alerted Keith to the fact that he’d messed up. He felt the color drain from his face, and then buried it in his hands. 

“Really?” Lance asked. 

“Could you. Just. ForgetthatIsaidthat?” Keith moaned. 

“Forget that you said that? No, I’m not going to forget that! In fact, I have half a mind to ask Pidge if she managed to get a recording of that for future reference.” 

Keith contemplated for the first time the possibility that the new inspector was a sadistic asshole. Why else would he want a recording of something so embarrassing? 

“I mean, that just kinda made my day,” Lance continued, and Keith spread his fingers to peer up at Lance. “Like, it’s been kind of a shitty day, and then I come over here not really hoping for much of a conversation since I thought I annoy you, but then you tell me that you don’t hate me and top it off with a confession? It’s almost too good to be true.” 

“Wait, but isn’t that a bother?” 

“Why should it be? I like spending time with you. I like the fighting lessons, I liked it when you said we made a good team, I liked dancing with you, and I have spared a few thoughts towards what it would be like to touch your hair, but I figured it was impossible since you hate me and stopped myself there.” 

“Except I don’t hate you. So, um, you can touch it if you want to.” 

“Right now?” 

“Sure.” Keith stood, trying to ignore the heat on his cheeks as he pushed back his chair. Lance followed suit, and they both stepped around the table to meet halfway. 

“May I?” Lance asked. 

“I just said you could.” 

“Still. You should always ask before invading someone’s space in any way. That’s what my mama taught me anyway.” Lance’s hands drifted upward, pausing at shoulder level before hesitantly reaching up to stroke Keith’s hair. Keith had been looking at the ground, but now he chanced a look up at Lance’s face and gaped at the wonder he saw in Lance’s expression. At the same time, Lance flexed his fingers, burrowing them into Keith’s hair. 

“Wow, it’s so soft,” Lance said. 

“Not really,” Keith replied, because he couldn’t think of anything better to say at the moment. 

“Keith?” 

“What?” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

“Only if I can kiss you back.” 

The first kiss was, like most first kisses seem to be, hesitant and gentle. And then, Keith being Keith and having no patience whatsoever, rushed in for more, and he was only a little bit surprised when Lance matched his hunger with just as much passion of his own. It felt amazing, and a little overwhelming. The sensation of Lance’s body pressed close to his, their mouths moving against each other, Lance’s hands fisting in his hair. It made him whimper a little, at how perfect that moment was but also at how unfair it was that Lance’s hair was too closely cropped for him to return the favor of tugging on Lance’s scalp too. 

Eventually though, they did have to break for air. 

“We should totally do that again,” Lance whispered as he tried to catch his breath. “Will you go out with me so we can?” 

“Yeah,” Keith panted back, nodding. And then something clicked. “Aw, shit. Shiro’s gonna kill me.” 

Lance’s face fell. 

“Oh. Sorry. Are you- Are you two, uh…” 

Keith had to laugh. 

“Oh heck no!” he choked between laughs. “It’s not like that at all! No, Shiro’s… Shiro was my guardian. Before.” 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah. My mom’s a latent criminal, so she’s been out of the picture since I was a baby, and my dad started developing eustress deficiency when I was in middle school. He was losing interest in things and knew that before long he’d stop caring about anything at all, and so he asked Shiro to take care of me. So Shiro’s like family. Like a… replacement dad. Or an older brother. Maybe an older cousin. Or an uncle? Point is, family.” 

“Phew. That would have been really messy otherwise.” 

“No kidding. But anyway, I just said he’s gonna kill me because I ah, told him how I felt about you and he warned me that- Ah! A mom! That’s what Shiro’s like!” 

“And now I have an image of a pregnant Shiro in my mind for some reason,” Lance said and they both laughed at that when they were calm again, Lance added, “But what were you saying? He warned you that…?” 

“Oh. He just… he didn’t think that an enforcer and an inspector… that such a relationship would be a good idea.” 

“Well why not?” 

“Are you actually serious right now?” 

“Of course I’m serious! What’s wrong with an enforcer and an inspector dating?” 

“I’m a latent criminal! It’s just not possible!” 

“Well so what? Does being a latent criminal make you incapable of feeling love?” 

“No, but-” 

“And it certainly doesn’t make you unlovable, I can attest to that. So how is it impossible?” 

“I’m not needed by society.” 

“Sure you are. We rely on you a lot. But let’s say I accept your argument for a moment. In that case, is anyone really needed? Anyone can become a latent criminal at any time, Keith. And even if they aren’t latent criminals, does that really make them necessary? You can have a homeless bum with a clear hue. They’re not doing anything. Are they needed?” 

“I don’t know why I’m bothering to argue with you since I already said I’ll date you,” Keith grumbled, then sighed. “Just… I guess I’m a little nervous about all the things that can go wrong.” 

“It’s love Keith. Things can always go wrong, no matter who’s involved. Even soulmates have fights. The point is to keep trying, even when it’s tough.” 

“I guess it’s a good thing I can be pretty stubborn.” 

“I guess it’s a good thing we make such a great team,” Lance countered, a twinkle in his eye. 

“Yeah. The best team there is,” Keith said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pining didn't last long, but that doesn't mean there's gonna be smooth sailing from here on... :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, the end of this chapter is kinda nsfw. Like, no actual smut because I don't feel like I could write that, but things do get heated, so this might be one to either read in private. Sorry if it's hella awkward.

**8 months later**

If there was one bad thing about dating an enforcer, it was that privacy came at a premium. Sure, enforcers had private rooms in the headquarters building, but while that seemed convenient at first, it really wasn’t. Or so Lance and Keith had come to learn in the eight months they’d been dating. It seemed like every time they wanted a moment alone, someone was showing up and interrupting things. Sometimes it was Shiro, coming to ask Keith what his plans for dinner were or some such thing. Other times it was Nyma, who had been the first to discover their relationship (with a technical exception of Pidge who knew it was coming and avoided finding out) and who had ever since enjoyed messing with them quite a bit. Every now and then it’d be Rolo, trying to find out if Keith had seen some tool or other. Twice it was Shay, a therapist who worked specifically with MWPSB employees, coming to find out why Keith had missed a scheduled session for hue maintenance. 

The worst though, was undoubtedly Hunk. He had walked in on them multiple times when they were making out, cuddling, and once when they were just beginning to strip each other’s shirts off, and every time he would stand there for a moment with his mouth hanging open, his face the same color as a traffic light and just as visible, and then he would sputter out an apology that usually went along the lines of “OhmygodI’msooooosorryguys. I didn’t know you were- I mean, uh… I was just looking for Lance because about the stuff and shirts and I uh, I think I’ll leave now.” It tended to be a bit of a mood killer. But also, seriously Hunk? Why did he think Lance would head down to Keith’s room after their shift ended? Especially after the first time, he really should have known better. 

So even though they’d been dating for eight months, there were certain milestones they had yet to pass despite mutual interest in getting there. One in particular. The big one. 

But at least they’d developed certain routines that more than made up for their lack of progress. Like how they always gave each other “good luck” kisses before they went out on a case. It had started as a joke, with Keith kissing Lance and saying it was for good luck so that Lance wouldn’t accidentally shoot any enforcers. Then Lance started returning the kisses and saying that Keith needed luck too so that he wouldn’t run right into trouble. And from there it just became kisses because they were gay and wanted to kiss and that seemed a good time to do it. Lance also tried to ignore the idea that if either of them was killed in action, then at least they’d have gotten in one last kiss beforehand, but there was that, too. 

Another routine was eating meals together. Breakfast was eaten on their own, but lunch was during their shift and dinner was soon after, and so they ate those together, even if it did tend to make them the subject of ridicule from the rest of their division. 

They still did Lance’s fighting lessons too, though the lessons weren’t always as productive as they could be, since they tended to get distracted checking each other out and often ended up using the close proximity of the hand-to-hand techniques to make out. In fact, it was during one of those lessons that Nyma had discovered them. She’d walked in as they’d been gazing into each others’ eyes following a drill where Lance had tried to attack Keith and Keith had redirected the blows to the side, allowing Lance to come in close until they were face to face. It hadn’t even been anything overt, but the moment she saw them like that, her eyes lit up and she called out “OH MY GOD, YOU TWO ARE DATING, AREN’T YOU?” at the top of her lungs, and proceeded to make a big deal of it until Keith and Lance had found themselves blushingly trying to explain the situation to a disappointed Shiro, a curious Hunk, an excited Nyma, and a Rolo who was disinterested but still present since someone had to get Nyma to stop making a scene. Matt had also been eagerly listening in, but Pidge politely explained that she’d noticed sparks flying between them ever since they’d danced together at the concert hall and had refrained from watching or listening to any interaction between just the two of them since. All in all, it had been a very embarrassing day. 

Still, Lance was satisfied with his relationship. It could be a little harrowing at times, since Keith still did not know how to go any pace but full speed when they were out in the field, but if Lance got clingy as a result of a near-Keith-death experience, Keith certainly didn’t seem to mind. 

Other aspects of Lance’s life were going pretty smoothly as well. His family members were all in good health, and pestered him almost daily to come visit more often. His career was going well too. He had yet to get into any real trouble, had yet to meet the district chief, but had at least met the rest of the eighth division and been introduced to the inspectors from the ninth. Sometimes a particularly bad case might get to him a little, but he had Keith to help him bounce back. Sure, he could have managed on his own, but when he had a cuddly boyfriend to listen to his whining and hold his hand, that made things a lot easier. 

So aside from getting cock-blocked A LOT, things were going really well. And things were going to start going even better, since Lance had thought of a solution to their privacy problem. And no, it was not a sock on the door. They’d tried that already. Nyma had taken it as encouragement. 

But for now, there was work to do. Lance’s least favorite part of the job was easily the reports they had to write. They could barely even breathe without having to write it down. And today they’d been called to three different locations. It was all minor stuff, just tracking down people who were reluctant to submit to a hue check and convincing them to go get therapy, but that was still three reports that Lance had to write. And while enforcers had to write their own reports, it was an inspector’s job to detail both their own actions and the actions of any enforcers they’d been supervising that day. Which meant that until Rolo and Nyma finished up their reports, Lance couldn’t finalize his and be done with the whole shebang. 

“Aren’t you done yet?” Keith asked from where he sat as his desk, playing with a kendama. The jerk had mastered the toy, and for now was just idly flicking his wrist to jump the ball around the different balance points. 

Lance slouched back in his chair, sliding down so his chin was bunched up against his neck. 

“No,” he replied sullenly. 

“Just a moment,” Rolo said from his desk. “I just need to read through this last paragraph and check for mistakes.” 

“Y’know, you could just make Nyma check her own,” Keith drawled. “Save some time.” 

“She did. I’m just checking it again because she does a half-assed job,” Rolo retorted. “Aaaand done. Here you go, Lance.” 

“Thank you!” Lance cried, straightening up and opening up the new files he’d just received. He began skimming through them, making sure everything matched up with his reports and that he wasn’t missing anything. Rolo said a farewell and left, but Lance barely noticed, only remembering to mumble a “Later” well after Rolo was gone. A few small edits were required, but finally, Lance was satisfied with the reports and submitted them to Hunk. He didn’t envy Hunk, being the senior inspector and having to take charge of yet another step in the paperwork process. Just another reason he was glad Hunk was good at keeping his hue clear. 

“Are you done _now_?” Keith asked, popping the ball up onto the stick at the top that Lance could never figure out how to get the ball onto. He set the toy down as Lance nodded. 

“Yup.” 

“Good. I’m starving.” 

“You’re always starving,” Lance teased. “Your stomach has to be a bottomless pit, I swear. Otherwise how else would someone as tiny as you consume so much food on a regular basis?” 

“Hey, I burn a lot of calories on this job, I’ll have you know.” 

“Probably because you’re always running ahead. Maybe if you actually listened to orders and slowed down for once, you wouldn’t be so hungry all the time.” 

“Shut up. Besides, it’s not like you eat any less.” 

“Only because I have to burn a lot of calories as well, trying to keep up with a certain someone.” 

“Hey, no one asked you to.” 

“It is literally my job to, Keith.” 

Keith stuck his tongue out at Lance rather than dignify the conversation with words. 

“Oh no, he’s sticking his tongue out, I’m in trouble now!” Lance cried in mock terror. 

“Are we going to go eat or not?” Keith grumbled. 

“Sure, sure. But um, I had an idea that I wanted to talk to you about, which, depending on if you’re interested and all, could be a bit of a game-changer.” 

Keith raised an eyebrow. 

“So, you know how it’s part of an inspector’s job to accompany an enforcer any time they might want or need to go out someplace?” 

“Are you proposing we go someplace for dinner rather than the cafeteria? Because I don’t think that’ll work, Lance. Most places these days check the hues of all their customers, and while I can get in for work purposes, they’re hardly going to let a latent criminal like me sit down and eat.” 

“No, that is not what I’m suggesting. I was thinking more like… my place? They only scan people operating the door, so if you come in with me no one will be the wiser, and well… there shouldn’t be any interruptions, if you know what I mean.” 

Keith’s jaw hung slack for half a second, and then he began nodding vigorously. 

“I thought you might like that idea,” Lance grinned. 

“You bet I do,” Keith said. “I’m guessing with this proposal, we’d end up eating at your place then?” 

“If you wanted. Or we can eat here before going.” 

“I kinda like the idea of eating at your place,” Keith said. “It makes it feel more like a date.” 

And there it was. Keith’s cute side. Every now and then, out of nowhere Keith would say something like that, things that were both totally normal and yet hopelessly romantic (in Lance’s mind, at least) at the same time. And every time it made Lance swoon internally. 

“Then a date it shall be,” Lance replied, trying to keep the gooey feelings from showing on his face. 

They headed down to the garage and Lance drove them to his apartment building and let them in. He led the way to his unit, glad that he’d gone ahead and cleaned up that morning just in case. Sure, he had a cleaning bot just like everyone else, but it was an older model and sometimes malfunctioned and so he usually just cleaned things on his own. It was relaxing. 

Once inside, Keith started examining Lance’s apartment as if memorizing the place. Lance squirmed, a little uncomfortable with Keith’s scrutiny because what if his apartment failed to meet expectations somehow, but also not wanting to interrupt and seem like he had something to hide. He wouldn’t have brought Keith here if he did. 

“I like it,” Keith said. “It smells like you.” 

“Well I should think so,” Lance said, rolling his eyes. “I only live here.” 

“Really? All that time at work, I thought you lived at your desk by now,” Keith teased. 

“I don’t spend _that_ much time working. And half the time, it’s your fault I’ve got to spend extra time at the desk because you do reckless things that make the reports twice as long.” 

“Only because I know how much you like paperwork.” Lance made a face and Keith laughed, then changed the subject. “Who are all the people in that picture?” 

“That’s my family,” Lance said. 

“All of them? I thought they limited the amount of kids you could have in order to maintain self-sufficiency.” 

“Well, actually, we’re immigrants.” 

Keith gaped, and Lance laughed. 

“Rare, I know. It took years to get all our visas cleared. They probably only allowed such a large family in because my parents developed some new medical procedure that could improve quality of life in the elderly like, a lot, and it was good enough that the government wanted it, and they let us in.” 

“So those are all your siblings then?” 

“Well, that guy is my sister’s husband, and that’s my brother’s wife, and my other sister wasn’t there when we took the picture since she had to go in for some hue therapy, but yeah, that’s us.” 

“It’s just weird, trying to wrap my mind around how big your family is.” 

“Oh, you think that’s big? Here, let me show you a FULL family photo, with all my aunts and uncles and cousins. And grandparents on both sides. And great aunts and uncles. We didn’t exactly have such strict population control measures back in- oh my God, I forgot how gap-toothed I was back then. No, don’t look!” Lance tried to hide the photo he’d just found with a hand, but Keith pushed the hand straight through the holo display so that he still got to see a child Lance smiling open-mouthed to reveal his missing teeth in all their glory. 

“Ughhhhh, this is so embarrassing,” Lance whined. 

“I think it’s cute.” 

“You think that now, but wait until the shoe is on the other foot. Just you wait, I’m gonna get some embarrassing childhood photos of you from Shiro, and-” 

“What makes you think Shiro has childhood photos of me?” 

“Wait, he doesn’t? I- I just assumed, seeing as how he was your guardian and all…” 

“He didn’t become my guardian until I was 14.” 

“So no photos of cute widdle Keef?” Lance said, using puppy eyes. 

“Uhhhh…” 

“Aha! I knew you were lying that Shiro doesn’t have any!” 

“I never said he doesn’t have any, I just implied. But wasn’t I promised dinner?” 

“Don’t think I don’t see you avoiding the subject there, but yes, you were. What would you like? Just a basic pre-programmed meal, or I can actually cook for you, though it’ll take a while.” 

“As tempting as having you cook for me is, especially since I didn’t think anyone still did that anymore, pre-programmed meals will be fine.” 

“Ever impatient, aren’t you?” 

“Lance, we’ve been dating for eight months now, and we’ve been trying to have some alone time for the past two and a half. Yes, I’m impatient, and don’t try to tell me you aren’t. The fact that you invited me here in the first place kinda indicates that you want this too.” 

“True,” Lance said, programming a pair of high calorie Italian-style meals for them. Italian was supposed to be romantic, right? “I kinda want to just skip the meal, to be honest, but with how hangry you get I figured it wasn’t the best idea.” 

“Considering that sex burns calories, no, not the best idea.” 

Lance pulled out the two completed meals and brought them over to Keith, setting one down in front of him and placing the other on the table across from him. Lance then went and filled two glasses with water before returning and sitting down at the empty place, handing over one of the glasses as he settled himself. 

“Should we do a toast?” 

“I take it Hunk’s been having you watch old 21st-century movies.” 

“I think some might have been even older. But yes, I have, and toasting your partner is totally romantic. They may have lived in a messy society full of uncertainty and fear and had barbarous ways like consuming gasoline for power, but they sure did romance well.” 

“Of course _you_ would think that. But fine. To us?” 

“To good luck kisses. To fighting lessons where more making out is practiced than hand-to-hand. To dancing in a concert hall while guessing who’s the latent criminal.” 

“Alright then. To being fawned over after every slightest injury. To having one’s worries laughed away. To comforting each other when we’re down. To- to the hope that tonight ends up being the best night of our lives so far.” Keith blushed, but maintained eye contact. 

“Now that is something worth toasting for,” Lance agreed, and they knocked their cups against one another before taking a drink. 

“Though aren’t you supposed to toast with alcohol?” Keith asked. 

“I used up my wine cooking last week and haven’t gotten around to getting some more,” Lance admitted. 

“You are seriously going to have to cook for me some time.” 

“I’ll make something and bring it in for lunch some time, okay?” 

“Great. Anyway, thanks for the food.” Without further ado, Keith dug in. Lance smiled and watched for a moment. Keith always made eating seem like a contest, generally shoveling food into his mouth as quickly as possible. It was a little gross, and yet it was still endearing. Probably because Lance was in love with him. 

Despite Keith’s head start and single minded eating style, he and Lance finished at the same time. Lance took the dishes over to the sink for disposal, and when he turned around Keith was right behind him. Lance was a little startled, but not really surprised. After all, when could Keith ever wait for anything? 

Keith reached up to touch Lance’s face, thumb stroking Lance’s cheek fondly for a moment before he leaned in to touch lips. And then Keith was opening his mouth to move his tongue into Lance’s, and Lance found himself sliding one hand under Keith’s shirt and up along his abs, and tangling the other hand in Keith’s hair. As always, he felt a little guilty, worrying that he might hurt Keith by tugging too hard at his scalp, but Keith had informed Lance before that he liked when Lance grabbed at his hair. Meanwhile, Keith’s hands were already fumbling with the buttons on Lance’s shirt, threatening to rip them off if they didn’t unfasten quickly enough. The last of the buttons finally broke free and Lance shrugged the fabric off his shoulders, letting it slide to the floor just before Keith pressed up against him, forcing him to stumble back and into the counter. Lance began to work on unbuttoning Keith’s shirt to return the favor, and Keith moved his mouth to Lance’s neck, planting kisses behind his ear, along his jaw, down his throat, and then along his collarbone as Lance worked the buttons free until the two sides of the shirt hung loose. 

When Keith began to reach for the zipper on Lance’s pants, Lance stopped him. Keith whined. 

“Just a second babe. I just- I thought we might be more comfortable moving this to the bed.” 

“Oh. Right.” 

“Did you seriously forget that?” 

“More like I just don’t care right now? So far waiting for the right location has only wound up in interruptions, so I kinda decided not to be picky.” 

“There won’t be any interruptions tonight. Because if there are, so help me God, I will probably end up becoming a latent criminal.” 

Lance pushed Keith back, leading the way over to his bed. He paused beside it, hands hovering near Keith. 

“Are you ready?” he asked. 

“Are you?” Keith asked, a challenge. 

Yeah, it was going to be a good night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the discussion of Lance's family's immigrant status seemed xenophobic at all, however it is based off Psycho-Pass canon. To maintain the Sybil system, Japan closed its borders, since it's a lot easier to have a system that judges everyone when you don't have a constant influx of tourists and foreign business-people.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for this chapter and the next: Hostage situation

Keith woke up still cradled in Lance’s arms. A glance at the clock Lance kept beside his bed showed that it hadn’t been that long, maybe four hours since they’d left headquarters. 

Headquarters. 

Where Keith was supposed to be currently. 

Oh _shiiiiiiiiiiit._

He had to get back. 

“Lance,” Keith hissed, breaking free of Lance’s arms to sit up and shake the other man. “Lance! Wake up, Lance!” 

“Mmmmmm,” Lance moaned. “What, do you want more already? Not that I mind, but couldn’t it have waited a bit?” 

“Lance, I have to get back to headquarters.” 

“Mmmm, why’s that?” 

Even if Keith explained, Lance wouldn’t get it. He never did. That whole enforcer vs inspector thing never seemed to pierce his brain. He was a perfectly bright individual, but was always so dense about that one little thing. It was really lucky the enforcers in their division weren’t likely to betray that trust, otherwise Lance would have ended up in a lot of trouble by now. 

Since telling the truth wouldn’t work, that only left the option: to lie. But it was for Lance’s own good. 

“I forgot I promised Shiro we’d have a movie night.” 

“He’s probably stopped waiting for you and gone to sleep by now.” 

Keith shook his head. 

“No, Shiro pretty much never sleeps.” TRUTH. Such truth. Shiro was a marvel of nature, someone who only ever seemed to sleep for two hours at most but was always fully awake and alert. It should have been impossible, but that was Shiro. “He’ll still be up, and waiting. If we go back now I can tell him I just took a nap before going to see him.” 

“Can’t you just tell him tomorrow that you forgot?” 

“Lance, it’s Shiro. He’ll see right through me and know I’m lying. And I can’t let him down. I’m sorry, really, but I do have to go back.” 

“Okay fine. But I’m keeping your shirt.” 

“What? Why?” 

“One, because it smells like you. And two, a boyfriend’s clothes are always more comfortable. Seriously, if you’d ever dated a girl, you would know. Half your clothes will mysteriously vanish, and you’ll have no idea where they went since your girlfriend will put her clothing holos on over your clothes so you can’t tell. This is the first time I get to try that out, and so I am going to do it. So give me your shirt.” 

“Do I at least get one of yours in return?” 

“Of course.” 

“Okay, fine.” 

Keith got up and began sorting through the articles of clothing on the floor. He found Lance’s underwear first and handed it over since Lance seemed to be intent on lying on his side and watching Keith rather than actually like, helping out or anything like that. His own boxers he found over by the wardrobe, since Lance had flung them aside the night before like the dramatic weirdo that he was. Not that Keith didn’t love that about him. 

Boxers on, Keith took a look at the two pairs of pants on the floor and discovered they were pretty much identical. He selected a pair at random and started to pull them on, but found the legs to be too long for him. They were Lance’s. Flushing, he pulled them back off, much to Lance’s amusement. He threw them at Lance’s head to shut the other man up. 

“Shut up and get dressed already,” Keith snapped. 

“Alright, alright. No need to get mad, Cinderella,” Lance replied, obediently putting on his underwear and pants without even getting off the bed. 

“Cinderella?” 

“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard that story.” Lance paused in his struggle with his pants to raise his eyebrows at Keith. 

“Sorry, but you know I don’t listen to orders well. I really haven’t ever heard it.” 

“Oh my god. Really? Well okay then.” Lance cleared his throat dramatically. “So, once upon a time, there was this really pretty girl named Cinderella. Her mom died, and her dad remarried so that she had a new stepmom and two stepsisters, but then her dad died too, which sucked. What sucked even more is that they lived in a society without Sybil, so her stepmom and stepsisters were able to be super mean to her and it didn’t matter. 

“Well, there was this big party being held, and Cinderella wanted to go, but her stepfamily wasn’t going to let her. However, her AI managed to come up with this awesome holo for her to wear that was super gorgeous but also would keep her from being recognized by her stepfamily. The thing is, the AI was failing, and so it could only maintain the holo until midnight, and so Cinderella had to be home by then. But when she went to the party, she met this handsome prince, and they got to talking and she really liked him and he really liked her, but all of a sudden it was almost midnight and so Cinderella had to leave, even though she wanted to stay and talk to the handsome prince some more. And then the handsome prince goes on this quest to find her, and it’s super romantic, but point is, she had to leave the handsome prince so she wouldn’t get home too late, and that’s the same thing you’ve gotta do now.” 

“Wait, you mean there was a handsome prince here all this time and you never told me?” Keith teased. 

“Wow, way to bruise my ego.” 

“I’m just kidding. You’re not a prince, but you are prince-like, and certainly very handsome. And that’s probably the closest thing to a handsome prince in this country, so it counts.” Keith leaned over to give Lance a kiss, and Lance took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Keith’s waist. 

“Laaance,” Keith complained. 

“You really can’t stay?” Lance asked pleadingly. And damn Keith for being weak, but he almost caved in. Almost. 

“Do you really think I’d be half-dressed already if I could?” he asked before he could change his mind. Lance sighed. 

“No,” he admitted. “I just don’t want you to go. Next time we’ll have to make sure you don’t have prior plans with Shiro or anything so that you can stay all night. And then in the morning we can stay in bed and cuddle instead of getting up, and almost be late for work because we’re too comfortable to get up.” 

“I’d like that,” Keith said. It wasn’t a lie. He really would like that. But it couldn’t happen. There were too many risks for there to be a next time. He just didn’t have the heart to tell Lance though. 

Lance sighed again, tickling Keith’s chest with his breath, and then pulled himself to his feet. He held Keith a moment longer before reluctantly pulling away and going to his wardrobe to pull out a couple of shirts. He tossed one to Keith, then began pulling the other one on. Keith reluctantly followed suit, privately mourning the loss of the sight of Lance’s bare torso. Lance had a really nice body, all long and lean. It probably ranked among the top ten most beautiful things in the world. In the old days, artists would have flocked to Lance to make sculptures of him and paint portraits of him, leaving him exposed but for some tastefully placed object to protect Lance’s dignity. If had Keith known anything about being an artist, he knew he certainly would. 

Once they were both dressed, Lance spent a few moments fussing over Keith’s appearance, smoothing out some creases and tucking in the shirt Keith wore more securely. Keith supposed Lance was trying to keep it from being obvious what they’d just been up to, but it was a wasted effort, as Keith never bothered much with his appearance and would probably raise more suspicion by being well put-together for once. He didn’t say that though, because he liked Lance’s lingering ministrations. 

And then all too soon they were in the car and headed back to headquarters. At first they rode in silence, but Lance started humming. Keith closed his eyes and listened, knowing from past experience that humming was something Lance only did when he was really happy. It was pleasing to know that at least he’d had a good night. 

When they got back to headquarters, Lance insisted on walking Keith to Shiro’s door. Keith protested that it wasn’t really necessary, but didn’t really argue, allowing Lance to hold his hand. If Keith was being honest, he didn’t want this moment to end. In fact, he wanted to rewind, go back to just a couple hours before, when they’d been- 

They arrived at Shiro’s door all too soon. Probably because Keith never walked slow. He wasn’t sure he was even physically capable of doing so. 

“Thanks for coming over tonight, Keith,” Lance said, his eyes conveying way more than his words or voice did. His eyes said that Keith coming over had been everything he’d hoped for and maybe even a bit more. 

“I’m glad I did,” Keith replied, trying to match that emotion but probably failing because he’d never really been good at that emotional stuff. But this was Lance, so he had to try. So he bored into Lance with his gaze for a few seconds before giving up and looking away. He cleared his throat, then added, “but, um, anyway, you should- you should probably go. Just- so that I can claim to have taken a nap and all.” 

“You just can’t wait to get rid of me,” Lance sighed, shaking his head in mock hurt. Though there was probably a little bit of actual hurt mixed in. Keith didn’t know what to do about that. 

“You know that’s not true,” Keith said. Lance smiled, then leaned in for one last kiss. 

“Good night, Keith,” he whispered. 

“Good night,” Keith whispered back. Lance started to lean in again, but Keith pushed a little, and Lance backed off. Keith made shooing motions with his hands, and Lance rolled his eyes, but laughed as he headed off, dancing backwards a bit before waving one last time and turning to really walk away. Keith watched him go, unable to look away from the man who had captivated his attention right from the start. He waited until Lance was out of sight, and then about thirty seconds more to make sure Lance was really gone, and then barged into Shiro’s room. 

Shiro was on the floor doing clap push-ups, and he almost fell on his face at Keith’s entrance. That’s what he got for doing such a show-off-y exercise. Shiro rolled to his feet, taking one look at Keith as he stood to know there was trouble. 

“Shiro, what do I do?” Keith whined. 

“About what?” Shiro asked, grabbing a towel and dabbing at his face. 

“I don’t know what to do. It’s really, really bad, Shiro. I’m in big trouble, and I just don’t know what to do!” Keith headed over to Shiro’s couch and threw himself down on it. Dating a drama queen like Lance must’ve been rubbing off on him. 

“So you’ve indicated. But what is it that you don’t know what to do about?” 

“Lance. Shiro, I messed up. _We_ messed up. But mostly me. I think.” 

“Okay. What happened?” 

“He invited me over to his place. To, uh, you know.” 

“Keith, if you’ve come to talk to me about sex then please get out now. I will be there for you through thick and thin, but that is one place where we are not going.” 

“That’s not it, Shiro.” 

“Oh good. So? He invited you over and…?” 

“And I went. And we did. And it was great. Really great.” 

“I really don’t see why I need to know all this.” 

“I guess you don’t. But the thing is after. _After_ , Shiro. _After!_ ” 

“I really hope you’re getting to the point because I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I love you and all, but this is one thing I _really_ don’t want to be discussing with you.” 

“After is the point! We fell asleep, Shiro! Both of us fell asleep!” 

“I don’t follow.” 

“ _Lance_ fell asleep! Outside of headquarters, without a Dominator at hand, with an enforcer present, and he _fell asleep_.” Shiro’s eyes widened as he finally understood. He let out a small, “oh”, but Keith was already continuing. “Think about how much shit he could get for that! I could have done anything. I could have run away! And I wouldn’t- because I like this job and it would mean leaving behind Lance and just, there’s no way I actually would, but I _could have_. And- Shiro, he could lose his job over this. He could get fired, and then I’d never see him again, and just- I really, _really_ messed up.” Keith was shaking as he finished. 

“Keith, I get that you’re panicking right now, but it’s not as bad as you think,” Shiro said. “Besides, he’s been running the risk of losing his job ever since you two first started dating. They can’t do any worse to him than fire him, so this doesn’t make that big a difference. Unless- did it affect his hue?” 

“I don’t know. But Shiro- that’s another thing.” 

“What is?” 

“Well, um…” 

“I’m really beginning to regret every life decision that led me to this point.” 

“You know we’ve been trying to find time for a night like we just had for a while now, right?” Keith mumbled, choosing to ignore Shiro’s commentary. 

“I’m unfortunately aware, yes.” 

“Well, Lance made a joke tonight. That if anything happened that we couldn’t… you know, that he’d end up becoming a latent criminal. And for a moment there… I thought that would be nice. No one cares if it’s two enforcers dating. It happens all the time. So if he got demoted to an enforcer, then- it wouldn’t be a problem anymore. He could even move in with me rather than get his own room. No more keeping it a secret. No more trying to hide. We could just be in love. And all I’d have to do is taint him. I know it’s wrong, but it’s still so tempting. I just want to be with him, and right now it’s hard, but it could be so easy. And why do I have to keep spoiling a good thing by being such a bad person, Shiro?! WHY?” Keith’s voice, which had been soft through most of the spiel, rose to a shout for the last two questions. 

“Keith, calm down. Or at least- stop shouting. Please,” Shiro begged. “And unless you failed to mention some part where you two broke up, you haven’t spoiled anything. I do agree that your impulse to taint his hue is a problem, but I trust your better judgment to stop you from doing that. And to give you additional encouragement to control yourself in that regard, if I ever notice you doing anything to try and cloud his hue, I will personally report you and recommend your employment as an enforcer be terminated. Does that help?” 

“It still doesn’t answer my questions,” Keith sulked. 

“Those answers are things you have to figure out on your own.” 

“Hmph.” 

“Anything else?” 

“Actually, yeah. I need a favor.” 

“After the conversation we just had, I am very afraid.” 

“It’s nothing bad, really. I just told Lance that I had to come back because I’d promised to have a movie night with you. So I need us to actually have a movie night, and for you to be ready to say it was pre-planned.” 

“Why did you tell Lance that?” 

“Because if I’d told him the truth I’d still be there. He doesn’t get all these concerns about us dating across ranks. He refuses to see any problem with it, and I can’t make him see what’s so dangerous about this. So I had to come up with some other excuse.” 

“I see. Okay fine, we’ll have that movie night, but on one condition.” 

“Sure, what is it?” 

“You need to talk to Lance about everything we just talked about.” 

“Shiro, I just said-” 

“You said that he doesn’t get it, I heard. But you need to let him know that you are concerned about this. Lance may not have a proper sense of danger about this, but if he knows that you’re worried to such an extent, he might try to compromise. And you’re a smart kid, Keith. I’m sure you can find a way to get through to him.” 

“Shiro, I’m already 22 years old. I’m not a kid.” 

“You’ll always be a kid to me, kid.” 

“Whatever. Though, speaking of kids, can you please promise me to never ever show Lance any photos of me from when I was younger?” 

Shiro grinned and stroked his chin. 

“Now there’s an idea,” he murmured. 

“Shiro don’t.” 

“Show Lance photos of you when you were younger? I think I just might.” 

“Shiro no! Please!” 

“Oh come on, Keith. He’s sure to think you were cute.” 

“I know he will, but they’re still embarrassing!” 

“Being embarrassed every once in a while is good for you. Now, what movie do you want to start with.” 

“Shiro, sometimes I really hate you.” 

* * *

Waking up was both happy and disappointing. Sure, there was still the scent of Keith in Lance’s room, dredging up memories of the night before. The electric feeling of Keith’s touch, the look on Keith’s face, the sounds that Keith made. It made the multi-month struggle to get Keith to use Lance’s actual name rather than calling him inspector completely worth it to hear Keith groan that one syllable in a tone that was so miserably happy. They had actually done that, and the sheer exhilaration of it made Lance want to bury himself deep into the sheets and squeal like a little girl. 

But at the same time, it was still disappointing that he was waking up alone when he could have woken up with Keith right there. Stupid movie night with Shiro. 

If there really had been a movie night… 

_No. Stop right there, McClain. Don’t go down that road. Doubting your boyfriend will only lead to lots of unhappiness. And you really don’t want to go there right after you have confirmed that he is the best thing to ever happen to you!_

_Yeah, but Keith was really acting weird_ , said the little voice that never let go of Lance’s insecurities. 

_Well so what?_ Lance shot back. _We’d just had sex. He might have been a little overwhelmed. He’s not good with emotions, so when he feels things he tends to get a little worried. No big deal. Besides, for all you know, that could have been his first time. Or have you forgotten how you ended up falling over in the shower because you were shaking so bad after **your** first time?_

Being the optimist that he was, Lance decided not to dwell on Keith having to leave and instead focus on the good things. In just a few hours, he’d get to see Keith at work. Or he could head in early and see Keith even sooner. And he would get to see Keith at work tomorrow, and the day after, and really the future was quite bright. A future of him and Keith… 

Lance ended up leaving for work as soon as he had showered and eaten breakfast. Which was probably a mistake, as Keith probably had gone to bed late thanks to watching movies with Shiro, and would likely still be asleep. Just in case, Lance stopped by Keith’s room and knocked, but there was no answer, so he left things alone. Instead, he went to the gym to change and go for a run. He knew he really ought to be practicing against the battle bot, but he still hated that thing. Lance could hold his own against the easiest setting now, at least for a little bit, but it was still way too hard. And unlike Keith, if it managed to pin him down, it followed up with harsh blows to the face rather than playful kisses. Besides, running to work on his endurance was important too. 

In the end, Lance had to take a second shower, and he didn’t get to see Keith until their shift started. Keith looked a little tired, and so Lance decided to leave him alone, at least for a while. As well as getting hangry, Keith also got extra grumpy when tired. Whereas Lance always turned into a giant child when he was tired. They’d learned pretty early on that both of them being tired at the same time was not a good idea. It was pretty much a guaranteed recipe for a fight about something insignificant. 

Their shift passed quietly until lunch. When it was finally time that they could go eat, Lance stretched and got up, stopping at Keith’s desk to lay a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder and lean down just in time to catch Keith’s lips as he looked up to see who was touching him. 

“Hey,” Lance whispered. 

Keith grunted. 

“Ready to go get lunch?” 

Keith sighed, and for a terrible, terrible second, Lance thought Keith was going to say no. But that was ridiculous right? They always ate together. 

“Yeah, just a sec,” Keith said. 

“Sure thing.” Lance backed away, giving Keith room as he finished up whatever he’d been doing and stood. 

In the elevator, Keith leaned against Lance, relieving Lance of the earlier uneasiness he’d felt. While Keith didn’t like anyone when he was tired, if you stayed quiet and didn’t pressure him too much, then he would accept your presence. And in Lance’s case, use him as a pillow. Not that Lance minded. If something was wrong, surely Keith wouldn’t be nuzzling against Lance’s shoulder, right? 

Over lunch, Keith was even quieter than usual. Not that this was surprising. It was just… Lance really wanted to talk. He was a happy talker, and after last night, he felt like he was practically overflowing with words, but right now Keith would probably threaten to hang him up by his vocal cords should he say even half of what he wanted to. So Lance confined himself to just a simple “Thanks again for coming over last night,” and ate in silence. Well, mostly silence. Every now and then, he forgot himself and started to hum, and had to stop himself whenever Keith glanced up. 

“You can hum Lance, it’s fine,” Keith said after the fourth time this happened. His voice was gravelly, and it sent pleasant shivers down Lance’s spine. 

“No, I don’t want to bug you. I know you prefer quiet when you’re tired.” 

“Lance, I said it’s fine. It’s… soothing. It sounds, um, good pitch? I dunno. But it’s good. And also you only hum like that when you’re happy. I- I want you to be happy.” 

“Awww, you’re such a sweetheart. It makes me glad you’re so slow to warm up to people, since if everyone saw this side of you they’d all try and steal you away.” 

“You’re ridiculous. I’m not sweet. Or cute, or any of those other things you always say. I’m just me.” 

“Maybe. But I happen to love you, so I see things in a positive light all the time, and that makes you, to me at least, cute, sweet, adorable, cuddly, wonderful, lovable, Keith.” 

“Y-you think I’m lovable?” 

“Wait wait wait, you mean I haven’t said that out loud before?” 

“I don’t think so?” 

“Not even last night?” 

“Uhhhhhh, maybe? But I still don’t think so.” 

“Wow. I am a jerk. That should have happened the other way around. Well, it’s a bit late, but yeah, I love you. I am glad to have met you, glad you’ve let me get to know you, just so glad you’re in my life.” 

“Er, me too.” 

“That’s the Keith I know and love.” 

“Are you just going to keep using the L-word whenever you can from now on?” 

“The L-word? Oh my god, Keith.” 

“Shut up. It’s just embarrassing.” 

“What’s so embarrassing about love?” 

“It just is!” 

“You’re just making me want to say it to you more and more. Love love love.” 

“Gya! Stop it!” 

“Okay fine. But only ‘cuz I love you.” 

“I take it back. The feeling is one-sided.” 

“Nope. You already said you love me too. That is now a treasured memory for me.” 

“Why am I dating you again? No, don’t answer that!” Lance had indeed had his mouth open to answer. “You know what, let’s change the subject.” 

“New subject. Okay. Hmmm…” Lance pondered things to talk about. He supposed he could just let there be quiet again. 

“How was your movie night with Shiro?” God. Damnit. Lance mentally kicked himself. He vowed to go fight the stupid battle bot later and get his ass kicked because why had he asked that? It was so nosy and prying! It was none of his business! 

“Oh, it was good,” Keith said. “We watched that one about the kid that finds the alien in his yard. And then that one where the kid sees dead people. We were gonna watch another as well but we couldn’t decide on the one where the guy drives to the past or the one where the girl and her dog get seriously lost so we decided to call it a night. I suppose it’s just as well, since I didn’t get enough sleep in the end.” 

“I don’t think I’ve seen that second one… Oh well. It sounds scary.” 

“It’s not! Really. It’s actually rather… bittersweet. Not to mention it’s a pretty good plot twist.” 

“Okay. Maybe I’ll have to watch it sometime.” 

“I’ll watch with you. That way if it actually does scare you, you have someone to hold onto.” 

“It’s actually terrifying isn’t it?” 

“To me? No. To any normal person, nuh-uh. To you? It just might be.” 

“Ughhh.” 

“But anyway, Lance, I- I was talking to Shiro last night, and…” 

“And what?” 

“W-well, I… I just think that I’ve been kinda neglecting him lately, you know? Like, I always spend my time with you, and that’s fine, except…” 

“Except Shiro is your family. I get it. If you want to spend some more time with Shiro, then go ahead. Or invite him to join us sometimes. It’s cool either way.” 

“Really? Thanks for understanding.” 

“Keith, babe, of course I understand. He’s your family. You love him. Yes, you love me too, but that doesn’t mean I get to monopolize you. You should be able to comfortably spend time with _all_ your loved ones, not just me. I mean, if it were the other way around, I would feel the same way about wanting to get in some family time as well as boyfriend time. So don’t worry about it.” 

“Thanks Lance. I really don’t deserve you.” 

“Don’t underestimate yourself. You’re pretty great, you know.” 

“Yeah right. But um, Lance?” 

“What?” 

“I love you.” 

Talk about a way to bring a man down. Nice shooting, Keith Kogane. A direct hit. 

* * *

Stupid, stupid, STUPID! Keith was so stupid! He was supposed to talk to Lance about going to his place and about that dark desire he’d had, but instead he’d run away! He’d had the perfect opportunity, and now he’d managed to make it even harder to talk about. What a fucking idiot. 

Sometimes Keith couldn’t believe what a moron he could be. He just had a knack for screwing up. Maybe it was just who he was. After all, he’d been on medications to keep his hue in check for years before he officially became a latent criminal. He’d just been delaying the inevitable all along. He wasn’t suited for the world. 

But even if he always screwed up, he had to keep trying. Just because he’d failed once didn’t mean he should give up. He’d promised Shiro he would talk to Lance. Besides, Shiro was right. He owed Lance that much. He would do this. 

So, the next day at dinner, he tried again. 

“Hey Lance?” 

“Yeah?” 

“There’s something I really need to tell you…” 

_"Which is that I am bad for you. I’m going to get you fired, or I’m going to end up trying to get you demoted, and either way is bad. I don’t want to break up because you make me deliriously happy, but I think you should know that.” Say it, you idiot!_ Keith told himself. 

“What is it?” Lance asked, eyes curious. 

_SAY IT!_ Keith’s mind screamed. 

“Oh, just that I love you.” 

God. Fucking. Damnit. No! How could he chicken out again? Probably because Lance still seemed to be in a good mood, and Keith just didn’t want to ruin it. 

So take two had failed. But take three… 

Take three happened during one of Lance’s fighting lessons. They’d been sparring, and Keith had taken Lance down and had pinned him. 

_You guys are tired out, so end the lesson here and tell him_ , his brain said. 

_Or you could not?_ another part suggested. _Why would you talk to him when you could just stick your tongue down his throat like usual?_

That sounded like a good idea, so that’s what ended up happening. 

Okay, so there’d never really been much chance of that attempt succeeding. Lance’s fighting lessons were never going to be a good place to talk, and Keith knew it. Which maybe just a little bit might have been the reason he’d thought to bring it up just then. 

Attempt four was just as bad. He caught Lance a few minutes before the start of their shift and pulled him aside. 

“Lance, I wanted to talk to you about something.” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“About the other night…” 

“What about it?” 

“I- I was thinking…” 

_Oh don’t you dare chicken out now, Kogane. Grow a spine!_

“You were thinking…?” 

“Oh. Um, I was thinking that maybe next time, I could… suck you?” 

What the fuck was he even saying? Like sure, not a bad idea that, but he was supposed to be talking about real stuff! 

“Wow. I think… I think I might really like it if you did that? That’s… okay.” 

“Okay?” 

“Okay,” Lance nodded. Keith was internally screaming. There wasn’t supposed to be a next time, damnit! 

So that failed. As did the next attempt, where Keith was interrupted before he could really say anything when Hunk came looking for Lance to ask if he’d be eating with Keith or if he wanted to go get dinner with Hunk. Keith had nearly hissed at Hunk, a little bit for interrupting, but also because it wasn’t fair if Hunk could go out to dinner with Lance when Keith couldn’t do the same. 

After that, Keith just gave up entirely. Over the following week, he found himself avoiding Lance. He cancelled their fighting lesson, giving a weak excuse that he was tired. He ate all his meals with Shiro, even though it meant he had to dodge Shiro’s questions as to what was wrong. When Lance approached him about work matters, he was terse. It hurt him to see the growing confusion and worry on Lance’s face, but he couldn’t let himself be around Lance until they talked about things, and he couldn’t work up the guts to talk to Lance. It was what was best for Lance. 

Or so Keith told himself. But not so deep down he knew that he was just scared of ruining their relationship. And he also knew that what he was doing was ruining their relationship just as surely as actually talking to Lance would. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. Perhaps he’d already ruined their relationship the moment he’d agreed to go to Lance’s place. Or maybe even before that, like the moment he and Lance had started dating. 

Just when Keith was considering coming clean to Shiro and getting further advice, Lance came in one morning with puffy red eyes with deep bags underneath. His greetings to everyone lacked their usual chipper tone, and he seemed lifeless. He was so unlike himself that Keith felt his heart breaking just seeing Lance’s dulled movements in his peripheral vision. Lance was normally so vibrant and energetic, yet today he was so diminished that even saying he was a shadow of his usual self seemed insufficient to describe the difference. 

Something was clearly wrong with Lance, and Keith couldn’t just leave things be. He had to do something. Even if it meant talking to Lance unprepared, without having first consulted Shiro. 

So the first chance he got, he pulled Lance aside. 

“Lance, what’s wrong?” 

“Not now, Keith.” 

“Please, Lance. Talk to me. I can’t see you hurting like this.” 

“Can’t you though? That’s what you’ve been doing for days now. You just ignore me, and I don’t even know what I did wrong! And now you want me to talk to you when you won’t even spare me a second glance?” 

“I’m sorry, okay! I’ll pay attention to you! I’ll-” 

_Before you go making promises, don’t you have something to say to him?_

_Shut up treacherous mind. I’m trying to make things right, not make them worse!_

_But it’s really not something you can keep from him, Keith._

Fuck. 

“I’ll make it up to you somehow, I promise, but please, just for a minute, will you hear me out? There’s something I’ve been avoiding talking about, and it needs to be said.” 

“I’m not sure I’m convinced, but fine,” Lance replied sullenly. 

“Last week, when we went to your place, I-” 

An alarm went off, indicating they had an emergency to deal with. Of all times, why then?!? 

“Er, can it- can it wait?” Lance asked, Keith nodded, biting his cheek to keep from swearing. 

And then Lance was off, setting a brisk pace for the elevators. Keith followed at a trot. Hunk, Rolo, Nyma, and Shiro were already there, holding the doors for the two of them. 

As soon as they were inside, the doors slid shut and they began their descent. 

Three people were waiting when they left the elevator. Keith grit his teeth when he saw that they were from the eighth division. This day just kept getting better and better. At least none of them was Iverson, his least favorite. 

“It seems there’s two things going on, and both are fairly big so they’re splitting us up and sending us out with you guys and the ninth,” the inspector of the group said. He’d actually started around the same time as Keith, but Keith had never bothered to remember his name. It started with Cal-. Calper? Calvin? Caldwell? Whatever, Keith didn’t care. 

“Do you know what the situation is?” Lance asked. He always was one to let someone else do the reading and tell him rather than find things out for himself. 

“No, there wasn’t time to check,” Calspector said. Keith almost snorted. That much was obvious. They’d come down to the garage as soon as the alarm went off. 

They divided up, the inspectors going to their car and the enforcers all climbing into the back of the transport van. Keith took a seat in one of the back corners, Shiro next to him as a wall between him and other people. Across from him, Nyma took a catnap against Rolo’s shoulder. The eighth division enforcers sat nearest to the door, chatting idly about some sports match they’d seen. Annoying. This whole emergency was just one big annoyance. Without it, Keith could have patched things up with Lance by now. They’d have talked, and he’d have found a way to make Lance listen to him and understand, and they’d have worked out a way to continue their relationship without so much risk to Lance. But noooo, they had to go do… whatever. It was probably just some punk who didn’t want to listen to the drones when they recommended he or she go get therapy. Like always. Keith hated those types. What a waste of time. 

* * *

If Hunk was surprised when Lance surrendered the wheel to Inspector Kaltenacker, he kept his mouth shut. Maybe he could see the frown Lance could feel burning wrinkles into his skin. Normally, this would distress Lance into smoothing out his expression, but today… Today was different. Today Lance had a lot to think about. Namely Keith. 

Lance just didn’t get it. For weeks now Keith had been weird. He’d be all hot and cold, wanting to spend time together one minute and then running off to Shiro the next. He’d say things halfway as if they caused him physical pain and then the next he’d come out with something seemingly normal. Lance didn’t get what was wrong, but he did notice that more and more, Keith was trying to avoid him. 

That hurt. A lot. It wasn’t like no one had ever done that to him before, but Keith was… he was special. His opinion mattered more than anyone else’s to Lance, and he unwittingly had the power to completely and utterly destroy Lance if he chose to. 

At first, Lance thought that maybe he’d pushed their relationship a little too fast and that maybe Keith just needed some space. So he’d let Keith keep his distance, and let him spend time with Shiro since he knew that Shiro was someone Keith turned to for comfort and support. Lance was trying to do the right thing. He was trying to be a good boyfriend. 

But so far all his efforts had gotten was more silence. When he actually allowed Keith to avoid him, they didn’t even talk, and when they weren’t on shift together Lance never even saw him. Not in the gym, not in the cafeteria, nowhere. And it made Lance begin to wonder: what if Keith was like everyone else? What if Keith too had decided Lance was tiresome and had decided to cut him out without warning? The idea of a breakup was painful to Lance. The idea of not having Keith in his life at all was unbearable. 

And yet just when Lance had cried himself to sleep over it, Keith suddenly was there and wanting to talk again. And again, Lance didn’t get it. If Keith was going to cut him out of his life, why stop halfway? Why be concerned over Lance? It wasn’t like Keith had to worry about a guilty conscience affecting his hue. Whatever the case, Lance wasn’t ready to hear what Keith had to say. As much as he’d hated Keith’s silence, hearing the words, that he was done with Lance, come from his mouth, it made Lance want to scream until his own voice deafened him. So Lance had been rather grateful for the alarm. 

Lance didn’t get a whole lot of thinking time in the end though, because Hunk, being Hunk, ended up briefing him and Kaltenacker about the incident they were headed to. 

“It seems like there’s two hostage situations going on,” Hunk said. “We’re headed to one and the ninth division has the other. The probability that there’s some connection is high, so a live capture of the perpetrators is top priority. However, there’s also the hostages to consider. Both locations have at least 50 hostages, and the area stress is rising quickly. We’re going to have to be careful on this one.” 

Lance closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. He never liked situations like this. Whenever there were people trapped in a bad situation, things got icky. He’d need to be focused on this one. He could worry about whatever was going on with Keith later. Or better yet, never. If breaking up was inevitable, then avoiding their talk would keep it from happening, right? Yeah. Time to focus on the job. 

The arrived in a calmer fashion than Lance would have liked, but he supposed that since they couldn’t immediately go rushing in for the chase that it would have been a little out of place to make a grand entrance and then do nothing. Though the whole “doing nothing” thing really chafed at Lance. 

“Shouldn’t we be doing something?” he asked after a few minutes of standing around. 

“We can’t do anything until we’ve managed to establish communications with the perpetrators and begun negotiations,” Kaltenacker said. 

“Okay, so why aren’t we establishing communications?” 

“If we try and force negotiations we’ll just scare them into a panic. We just need to be here. They’ll see that we’re here, and that we’re available to talk to.” 

“But won’t us being here make them feel cornered instead?” Hunk asked. Lance reminded himself to knit Hunk a really warm fuzzy sweater because the man deserved it with all that he did, and now he was backing Lance up. Lance hadn’t known how much he needed to have _someone_ on his side. 

“They have to know that while we’re willing to negotiate, we’re not going to just let them do whatever they want. We also have to let people nearby know that we are in fact doing something about the area stress alert,” Kaltenacker explained, his voice overly patient like Lance and Hunk were idiots who couldn’t understand the most basic things. 

“You’re still going to scare them,” Lance said. 

“Then what do you suggest, Inspector?” 

Lance hesitated. He had an idea, but given the way things had gone the last time he’d worked with the eighth division, he suspected it was going to get shot down. Still, that had been with Iverson, so maybe Kaltenacker would have a more level-headed approach and might actually hear him out. 

“We send someone in to talk to them. One person, alone. They could talk to the suspects, and the hostages would see that they haven’t been abandoned at the same time.” 

Maybe Hunk didn’t have his back after all, because he was already shaking his head even before Lance finished. 

“It’s not a bad idea, Lance, but it’s too risky,” Hunk said. “If we send someone in, they might just become another hostage. They might even end up escalating the situation by accident. And what if the perpetrators just kill them on sight? Then we’ll be down a man, and the hostages will be even more scared. We can’t take that chance.” 

“But-” 

“It’s two against one, McClain. We wait,” Kaltenacker said, interrupting Lance’s counterarguments before he could begin. 

“Now hold on a second,” Hunk protested. “I didn’t say I think we should wait, I just said Lance’s proposal is too risky!” 

“Then what do you suggest?” 

“Uhhhh.” 

“Nothing? Then I guess we’re going to wait, since it’s the only plan we’ve come up with that isn’t completely preposterous.” 

“Excuse me?” Lance gasped. 

“No offense, McClain, but that’s the kind of plan only someone who doesn’t understand the way this world works would suggest. You may be the newest inspector, but you’ve been around long enough that you’re not a rookie anymore. Quit acting like one.” 

Lance was too offended to argue back. And also a small part of him couldn’t help but think that maybe Kaltenacker was right. After all, it was only Lance who thought this way, wasn’t it? Only Lance who wanted to protect people, even if it meant taking risks. 

But if Lance was wrong in his approach to this job, what else was he wrong about? 

_No. Don’t think about that. It’ll only lead to trouble._

A couple minutes passed, and then Keith approached. At first, Lance feared that he was going to try and have their talk right then and there, but then Keith asked Hunk about using the bathroom. Hunk called for any other enforcers who might need to relieve themselves, and together he and Keith and the eighth division enforcers all headed off to find a public bathroom. 

About a minute after Hunk and co left, the remaining three enforcers approached where Lance and Kaltenacker were politely not looking at each other. 

“We just got a call from Matt,” Shiro said. “He and Pidge have been trying to get into the building’s security system to get camera access, but so far they’ve struck out. All they’ve gotten is blueprints, which he said indicate that the cameras are closed access. They need someone to go inside and plug them into the servers here.” 

“I’ll handle it,” Lance said immediately, because this was perfect. Someone would need to go inside. If he went, then instead of plugging the Holts in, he could go find the hostages. He only hoped Kaltenacker wouldn’t insist they all go or something. It seemed unlikely, given Kaltenacker’s earlier insistance on being visible out here, but it would be just like that guy to ruin Lance’s plans… No wonder Ke- that person Lance didn’t want to think about- hated the eighth division so much. 

“Would you?” Kaltenacker asked. “I mean, I guess we could trust an enforcer, but you never know when they’ll stab you in the back. I suppose I could send one with you…” 

If there was any hope for redemption for this guy, it vanished the moment he said that. And right in front of the enforcers too! Rude. 

“I’ll be fine,” Lance said, hoping Kaltenacker would listen. An enforcer might try to stop him. Sure, he could always stun the enforcer with the paralyzer, but he didn’t like the thought of betraying them like that. And also their shots were tracked, and so Matt and Pidge would know he’d used his Dominator on someone. “It’ll take all of, what, five minutes? I doubt I’ll run into any trouble in that time, especially in an evacuated building.” 

“I suppose so,” Kaltenacker agreed. “By the way Shiro, there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Privately, if you don’t mind.” While the last part was said as if he was addressing Shiro, Kaltenacker gave Nyma and Rolo a pointed look. 

“Guess that means we’re supposed to back off,” Rolo grumbled. 

“You sure you don’t want any company? Lanny-Lance?” Nyma asked. 

“I’m good. You guys chill here a bit longer. I’ll be back.” 

Nyma and Rolo waved as Lance left them, and Lance waved back, suppressing a wave of guilt. He didn’t like lying, and not to people who trusted him, but it was for the greater good. He hoped they’d understand. 

Once inside, Lance pulled out a chip and began recording a message. Just a quick explanation as to what he was doing, though Hunk would probably figure it out pretty quick. He found someplace to leave it, and then headed upstairs to begin his search for the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you know why there's an angst tag.


	6. Chapter 6

When they arrived at the scene, there was no going on the hunt. They just stood around outside a building. The inspectors argued for a bit, but apparently nothing was decided, as they just ended up standing around some more. Meanwhile, Keith was beginning to notice a certain pressure in his bladder. A pressure that wasn’t going to wait. If no one was going to tell him who to chase down, then he was going to take a bathroom break. He headed over to where Hunk was standing with the eighth division guy. 

“Hey, Hunk. I need to use the bathroom,” he said. After all, he was enforcer. He couldn’t just go off on his own. Sure, Hunk probably knew, as everyone in the seventh division probably did, that Keith wasn’t going anywhere, but procedure was still procedure. Keith didn’t like doing anything that might get his inspectors in trouble, especially not right in front of people who could easily report them, like the eighth division. 

“Sure thing. Let me see if anyone else needs to go so we can save some time,” Hunk replied. He turned to where the other enforcers were still hovering near the van. 

“Hey, anyone need to use the bathroom?” he called. 

“Oh, great idea,” the girl from the eighth division said, and jogged over. The other eighth division enforcer followed after her, nodding. Keith tried not to make a face. 

They ended up walking to a park a block and a half away to use the public bathrooms there. After Keith conducted his business, he ended up having to hold Hunk’s head while the inspector vomited. Back at the beginning, Hunk had vomited at some point on every job. Nowadays, he rarely did. Keith still didn’t know what they were here for, since he didn’t care so much about the why’s as he did about the “find the bad guy and shoot them” part, but if Hunk was vomiting after so long, it must be bad. 

When Hunk was done they still had to wait for the eighth division guy, who was pooping. When the three of them finally came out of the bathroom, the girl was waiting impatiently. 

“God, you guys were taking forever,” she complained. “And men always say women are slow to use the bathroom. What’d you do, compare sizes? Have a competition to see who could squirt the farthest? Honestly.” 

“Calm down Rizavi,” the guy said. Oh right. That was her name. And the guy was… nope, Keith was still blanking. Whatever, it wasn’t important, right? “We still have time. And no, we didn’t do anything like that. Contrary to popular belief among women, most guys do actually continue to mature after their fifth birthday.” 

“Oh Kinkade,” Rizavi replied. “That’s just what you guys think. But one little cold and the difference is palpable. Or better yet, why don’t I get out a pair of tweezers? Lose one little eyebrow hair and I guarantee any of you guys will be bawling.” 

Before Kinkade could utter the “oh yeah?” Keith could see on his lips, Keith turned to Hunk and grumbled, “Let’s go already.” 

“Keith’s right,” Hunk told the eighth division children. “We should head back.” 

“Okaaaaay,” the two enforcers chorused. 

The four of them walked the distance back to the scene of whatever was going on in silence. Keith preferred it that way. None of the stupid bickering about the length of bathroom breaks or anything like that. Though at the same time, he wouldn’t have minded the conversation if it had been between him and Lance. Lance could make anything funny. Or serious, or tragic, or any kind of emotion you wanted. He was amazing like that. It was one of the reasons Keith loved him. 

Speaking of Lance, when they got back, he was nowhere to be seen. Rolo and Nyma were trying to tinker with one of the drones, probably hoping to add it to their slowly growing collection of “Beezer”s, and Shiro was over next to what’s-his-face, engaged in some discussion or other. But where was Lance? 

“Hey where’s L- Inspector McClain?” Keith asked. He kicked himself for almost using Lance’s name. Sure, most people would use first names within divisions, but he was known for being unsociable. If anyone noticed him being familiar with Lance, they might suspect that their relationship was more than cordial, and then- 

_Stop it Keith. Just stop. No one has noticed it so far, so they’re not going to notice now. Besides, they probably think it’s impossible that anyone would even consider such a relationship, let alone follow through with it._

“Wait, Lannykins isn’t back yet?” Nyma asked. Keith was pretty sure she didn’t actually use that nickname when talking to Lance one-on-one. She just knew it irked Keith, which was pretty much her favorite past time. 

“Where’d he go?” Hunk asked. 

“Pidge and Matt needed someone to access the building’s security systems to give them eyes inside,” Shiro explained. Yet another sign that this one was bad: it was Matt’s shift but Pidge was up and helping out. 

“Yeah, still waiting on that, by the way,” Matt said through the comms. “And it’s been a really long time.” 

“It shouldn’t be that hard,” Pidge agreed. 

“I’m going in after him,” Keith said. Maybe he could get a chance to talk to Lance after all. 

“Alright, Shiro, go with him,” the eighth division inspector said. Meddler. Well, at least with Shiro, Keith could say he wanted to talk to Lance and get some alone time. 

“Alright,” Shiro agreed. “Matt, Pidge, can you guide us to where Inspector McClain is?” 

“Sure can do,” Matt replied. “First off, you’re gonna wanna head inside the building. Obviously.” 

Keith rolled his eyes as he and Shiro set off towards the front doors. They went through them into a large atrium. 

“Okay, so there should be three hallways you can follow; one dead ahead, one to your right, and one to the left, do you see them?” Matt asked. 

“No shit we see them. We’re not blind,” Keith growled under his breath. 

“Yes, we see them,” Shiro said into the comms, giving Keith a disapproving frown. He could frown all he wanted. It wouldn’t change Keith’s lousy mood. 

“Good. I’d be worried about your eyesight if you didn’t. You’re gonna need to head through the one on your left. Can you do that?” Matt instructed. 

“Our legs have not stopped working since we entered the building, so yes, we can do that,” Keith snapped. 

“Geez, I just meant is it in any way obstructed. No need to bite my head off.” 

“Matt, we both know that you would have made that joke had I not said it.” 

“You’ve got me there,” Matt admitted. 

Keith led the way into the hallway, striding ahead with even less caution than usual, impatience making him reckless. 

“Keith, slow down,” Shiro commanded. “Or do I have to send you back to headquarters?” 

“You don’t have to send me anywhere. Just, when we find Lance, could you give me a few moments alone with him? Please?” 

“Keith, we’re in the middle of a job.” 

“And we were in the middle of trying to talk things out when the stupid alarms went off! Give me a break, here!” 

“Keith, I think you should head back.” 

“I’m staying damnit. Now how far down this forsaken hallway are we going to go?” Keith snapped into the comms. 

“There should be a right coming up. You need to head down there,” Pidge replied. 

“And it should be the fifth door on your left in that hall,” Matt added. 

“Kay thanks,” Keith mumbled. 

When he and Shiro reached the side hallway, Keith turned so sharply his shoulder bumped against the corner. He kept going, barrelling down the hallway as he counted the doors on his left. One, two, three, four… 

The fifth door was propped open, and Keith almost ran to look inside. He skid a little bit as he stopped in his tracks at the doorway. As his eyes took in the break room in front of him, he had a hard time believing what he was seeing. 

“Uh, Shiro? We have a problem.” 

Shiro joined Keith in the doorway and scanned the empty room in front of them. Just counter space and cabinets and a sink and coffee maker, and a tabletop that was occupied by an object that should not be there: Lance’s Dominator. 

“Oh no,” Shiro whispered, shaking his head. He walked over to the table and picked up the gun, revealing a long, rectangular chip underneath. A recording device. Presumably some message from Lance. 

“Let’s stop by a server room to get Matt and Pidge those eyes, and then take this stuff out to the inspectors,” Shiro said. 

“Wait, shouldn’t we try to find him?” Keith asked. 

“How? We’ll be running blind. We can’t say for sure which way he went since they track us by our Dominators, and even if we could, we’re enforcers. We’re not allowed to make a move without an inspector’s say so.” 

“We could call them to report on the situation,” Keith protested. 

“Keith, we’d have to be giving constant reports and letting them dictate our every move. It’s just not practical. We have to go back. And if you fight me any further on this, so help me God, I will use my Dominator on you. Please don’t make me do that. Worst case scenario, it could cost you your job and you won’t even get a chance to kiss Lance goodbye.” 

“Fine,” Keith grumbled. 

The day just kept getting worse and worse. And after they did whatever it was that Pidge and Matt needed them to do and went outside, it only continued in that trend. Hunk spotted them first. He started to wave, but then noticed the extra Dominator in Shiro’s hands and paled, turning the wave into a whack to Calwhatever’s shoulder. Calblahblah walked over to meet them, and Keith reluctantly handed over the recording chip. The inspector played it, and Lance’s breathless voice could be heard. 

“So I know my idea of going in to negotiate face to face was kinda dumb and all, but since the only other thing we’ve got is waiting and that’s not gonna accomplish anything, I think I’m just gonna- I’m gonna do it. I get that I could be fired for going against orders like this but, I’ve just- I’ve gotta try. If I’m unarmed, I’m not a threat to them, so if there’s any chance of getting through to these guys, I can do it. So uh, yeah. Sorry guys. I’ll call you if there’s any news.” 

“I knew McClain was a fucking idiot, but I didn’t think he would pull a stunt like this,” Calpoophead sighed. Keith grit his teeth and clenched his fists, trying very hard to resist the temptation to punch this shitstain in the face. “Holts, do you have eyes on him?” 

“Eyes on him, and eyes on our situation,” Matt’s voice replied. “All conveniently located in one place.” 

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Hunk replied, looking a little green. “Why couldn’t he have been somewhere we could send someone after him?” 

“Wait, so the inspector basically made himself another hostage?” Kinkade asked, joining their little cluster. In fact, he and Rizavi were the last ones to group up. Rolo and Nyma had already sidled over almost as soon as Caljerk took the recording from Keith. 

“Yes,” Cal-some-name-or-other replied with a terse nod. 

Keith felt his stomach drop out. He didn’t like that the other inspector had called Lance a fucking idiot, but the guy was right. What was Lance thinking? Lance was terrible at hand-to-hand combat! Even with Keith’s help, which had admittedly gotten less helpful over the past few months, Lance hadn’t improved enough that he could walk into a hostile situation unarmed and expect to be okay. 

“With all due respect, inspectors,” Shiro said calmly, “but I think this might not be such a bad idea after all. It is certainly risky, but just standing around isn’t going to get anything done, and if anyone can talk the perpetrators into a peaceful outcome, it’d be Inspector McClain. He has strong people skills, and has demonstrated them in past instances. There’s nothing we can do to help him at this point, so why not trust him?” 

Keith found himself regretting every good thing he’d ever said or thought about Shiro. Was he nuts? Trust Lance, when he’d just done something so unbelievably stupid Keith still was having a hard time understanding that this was truly happening? They needed to mount a rescue mission NOW. Before Lance got himself killed. And Shiro was saying to just let Lance do whatever crazy idea he’d come up with? 

“Well you’re right about us not being able to help him,” what’s-his-face agreed. “I guess this means that the plan for the rest of us doesn’t change then, since we now wait for his call. Or for the Holts to report that he’s down.” 

Keith felt like screaming. Internally, he already was. 

* * *

It wasn’t that Lance didn’t have second thoughts about what he was doing. He did. Oh man he really did. But like, just standing there waiting for impending disaster? Not really Lance’s thing. And letting people get hurt or have their hues clouded while he stood idly by? Definitely not Lance’s thing. And so, crazy idiotic idea it may have been, but within five minutes of having abandoned his Dominator, he was strolling into a room full of frightened-looking people with his hands up. 

“Stop right there!” shouted a man who brandished a handheld turret. It was the kind of thing you weren’t likely to see unless you had some kind of connection to the military. But when Lance forced himself to look past the menacing multiple barrels of the oversized gun, the man holding it looked just as scared as anyone else in the room. 

“Um, hi,” Lance said. Wow. So smooth. He tried again. “Um, I’m unarmed.” That was important to get out. If he told them about being an inspector first, then he might end up having a few dozen extra breathing holes. “You can check if you want.” 

“Hey Varkon,” the man with the gun called. For a second Lance’s breath hitched, as he thought he’d heard the man say Zarkon instead. But no, everyone knew Zarkon was safely locked away in a detention center. 

A second man, holding a smaller yet still very deadly-looking gun approached. 

“You check him,” the first man grunted. The second man, Varkon apparently, walked over to Lance, and began prodding at Lance with the barrel of his gun. Lance felt himself sweating. 

“Seems alright to me,” Varkon said after a while. 

“Good,” the first man grunted, then addressed Lance. “So what are you doing here? The area should have been evacuated.” 

“Um, it was,” Lance said. “I just- I’m an inspector from the MWPSB.” Both men raised their weapons, and Lance hurried to add “I’m just here to talk! And- and check on the hostages. Make sure- make sure everyone’s okay and all.” 

“Well he is unarmed, Sal,” Varkon said. 

“Fine, then talk,” Sal ordered Lance. 

“Er, well I was kinda hoping you would talk though? Like, explain why you’re doing this, and what you want, I dunno. Or if you’re not feeling like talking, maybe it would help if I told you about why I decided to come to you? Not that there’s a whole lot to say there, but it’s an option. Like an exchange. I tell you about me so you tell me about you.” 

“Are you serious?” Sal asked. 

“Yeah, I want to understand what you guys are thinking. You must have some goal in doing this. Otherwise you wouldn’t be taking hostages, right?” 

Lance was met with silence. Crap. 

“Um, if- if you don’t want to talk, will you at least let me speak with the hostages? Reassure them a bit and all?” 

More silence. Whelp, it seemed he’d screwed up after all. 

“Kid, why would you take a risk like that?” Varkon asked. 

“Huh?” 

“He said-” Sal began loudly, but Lance held up a hand. 

“Sorry, I just was a bit surprised you would ask that. I mean, sure my coworkers all ask that, but they all worry about hues and stuff, whereas I kinda figured the general public would expect us to worry about them first and ourselves second. Isn’t that kinda what being an MWPSB inspector is?” 

“That’s- that’s very moving,” Varkon sniffled. Oh god he had tears in his eyes. “Such a strong sense of justice.” 

“So you’re saying that you don’t mind screwing up your own hue, so long as you keep everyone else’s hue clear?” Sal asked. 

“Uh, kinda, yeah.” 

“You’re really something else.” 

“I’m going to hope that was a compliment and say… thanks?” 

“It wasn’t a compliment. The something else you are is an idjit.” 

“Oh.” 

“So what were you planning on doing here, anyway? You keep saying you want to talk, but what can talking help?” 

“It can help a lot, actually. The most commonly recommended form of therapy is talking to a counselor. Many people find it easier to deal with their problems after talking about them. So for the hostages, it will help them feel safer. And for you guys, I’m hoping it will cause you to consider letting them go. If there’s something specific that brought you to this point, then maybe I can help you find another way to deal with it. And, maybe I’m being a bit too bold here, but I’ve gotta say, you guys don’t really seem like you want to hurt anyone.” 

“Hmph. Just go talk to the hostages.” 

“Thank you, uh, Varkon and Sal, was it?” 

Varkon gasped, his eyes shining. 

“He remembered our names, Sal,” Varkon breathed. 

“Oh shut it,” Sal grumbled. 

The hostages were gathered in small clusters, grouping together as a small means of comfort. Not that having people around could help a whole lot when there were a couple of fellows with oversized firearms, but it was a small blessing at least. The first group that Lance approached looked up at him in fear. One man even shrank back, as if he thought Lance meant to hurt him. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Lance soothed, producing his holo-badge. “I’m from the MWPSB, I’m here to help.” 

“Here to arrest us more like!” shrilled the man who had backed away. “Our hues are all mud now! To you, we’re just as guilty as those fiends!” 

Lance was shaken by this sentiment, but didn’t let it show. People often remained unaware of how much situations like this could cloud their hues, so for these people to be aware caught him off guard. But he needed to project calm. He needed his three C’s now more than ever. 

“No, you’re not,” Lance said firmly. He raised his voice a little, letting it carry. “Right now, everyone here is scared, and no one is at their best when scared. Your hues right now are not an accurate reflection of who you all are as people. Maybe Sybil thinks you are dangerous right now, but that’s only because right now, you are in a situation where the only means to get out seems to be to break the law. But I’m here to show you that that’s not the case. I’m sure that once you understand that, your psycho-passes will clear up some. And with therapy, you will clear up enough to return to your lives. So I’m not here to arrest you. I’m here to keep you from needing to be arrested. I’m not here because my job told me to eliminate a threat. I’m here for you.” 

The man who had back away looked a little skeptical, but a woman nearby asked, “Are you really?” 

Lance nodded. 

“People always assume that their hue exceeding regulation levels is the end, but it’s not. Regulation levels are kept low. When you exceed that level, you’re not a criminal yet. Not unless you receive treatment but fail to improve,” he explained. 

“But most people who are taken in for treatment don’t improve!” the fearful man argued. 

“Because most people think that it’s already too late. They’ve given up hope. There’s also a tendency to dwell on what you’ve done wrong, and fear of if your hue gets even worse, but it’s that kind of thinking that is what ends up making your hue worse. It’s not a simple matter to avoid thinking like that, don’t get me wrong. But it is possible.” 

Lance was glad to see hope in the eyes of many of the nearby people. Even the fearful man seemed to be considering Lance’s words. 

Lance continued to go around the room, offering hugs and reassurances to the people there, seeing hope enter their eyes. It made him feel warm inside, because this was why he worked for the MWPSB. This was the thing that he wanted to do as an inspector, not shoot anyone who even considered stepping out of line. 

Still, even if he was helping, there was one final obstacle to deal with. After making his rounds, Lance went to confront it. Or rather, them. 

“So, uh, you sure you don’t want to tell me why you’re doing this?” he asked.The two men exchanged a look, and then Sal sighed an flapped a hand at Varkon, who immediately began blabbing out an explanation. 

“It wasn’t our idea. We got recruited. We were told that if we did this, we could make the city turn off all the scanners. And since neither of us never did anything wrong before… We just wanted clean slates. It just didn’t seem fair that we could do everything right and still be criminals just because our thoughts aint right or whatever!” 

The words spilled off Varkon’s lips desperately, and Lance couldn’t help but pity this man. Sure, he was undeniably in the wrong here, but the way it sounded, he seemed like a victim too. 

“You know that the MWPSB can never agree to such a thing, right?” Lance asked gently. Both men nodded resolutely. 

“Yeah,” Sal said. “We figured. But by the time we heard what the plan was, we were already in too deep to back out. Sal keeps his word, and Varkon does too.” 

“I see. Well, er, I know I just gave you bad news and all, but, uh, I don’t suppose I could convince you to release the hostages, could I?” he asked. 

“You don’t have to,” Varkon replied. “If you arrest us, then we can’t stop you from releasing everyone. So like any good defender of justice, you should arrest us, and deliver the hostages to safety.” 

“Wait, really?” 

“You were right when you said we didn’t want to hurt anyone,” Varkon said. 

“Sal agrees with Varkon,” Sal said, and Lance tried not to roll his eyes at the guy’s habit of talking about himself in third person. “We would like to surrender.” 

“Wow. Okay. Great,” Lance said. “Uhhhh, okay. How do I do this? I guess I’ll have to call the others…” 

“Go right on ahead,” Sal said. 

“And your guns will have to go…” 

“Alright,” Varkon said, and handed his over. Lance almost dropped it, half because of surprise and half because it was heavier than he’d expected. Sure, it was bigger than his Dominator, but it weighed so much more. Probably the weight of real bullets. 

“Uhhhhhh…” Lance said, looking around. What was he supposed to do with a big-ass gun? “On second thought, how about you hold onto it for a little bit longer? At least until we can get some Beez- some drones up here to scrap it.” 

“Okay,” Varkon said, shrugging as he took the gun back. 

“Hm, well, I think the first step is going to be to call for a bus, since everyone’s going to need to go to a therapy center. After that… I guess after that we can send everyone down the elevators. Okay, plan made, time to do it.” 

Lance reached for his wrist computer and turned it back on. As soon as it was powered up, he saw notifications of several missed calls. He ignored them, and instead sent out a call to Hunk. Hunk picked up immediately. 

“Oh my God Lance, please tell me you’re okay.” 

“Please, I’m never just okay. Even at my worst I’m still fantastic, and today is actually going pretty well so I’m doing even better than that. But, my personal status aside, we’re gonna need a bus. Would you mind being a dear and calling one for me? We’re about ready to start sending the hostages down, and we’ll need some sort of transport for them.” 

“A bus? Sure, I mean, I can do that. But everything’s really okay?” 

“Yeah. Really Hunk. Everything’s gone just… hunky-dory.” 

“Uggggghhhhh. I should never have taught you that one.” 

“Oh no. You definitely did the right thing teaching that to me. No one else would ever think to use it correctly like that.” 

“I’m sure. Anyway, one bus, coming right up.” 

“Better make that two. Thanks, buddy. You’re the best.” 

Lance hung up. Now to tell the hostages what was going on. Lance made his way over to a central table and hopped up on top of it. 

“Hey everyone, can I have your attention please?” Lance called. Not that everyone wasn’t already watching him, but whatever. “Your captors have agreed to release you all. There’s other people from the MWPSB waiting downstairs, and a bus is on its way to take you to a therapy center, so once it gets here, if you could all take the elevators down in a calm and orderly fashion, then we can-” 

“Then the other inspectors can shoot us the moment we get down there?” someone asked. The fearful man, again. Somehow, Lance wondered if maybe that guy wasn’t actually beyond recovery. Such a negative attitude. Well, even if he had no hope for himself, Lance would still hold onto hope for him. 

“Do you really think I would come all the way up here, by myself, against orders, just to have them shoot you guys? No.” 

“But what guarantee do we have?” 

“Uhhhh.” 

“I don’t care if they shoot me or not, I want to get out of here!” another man argued. A chorus of agreement sounded out. 

“Alright, how about this!” Lance yelled over the voices of the hostages. “You’ll go down in small groups. When the first group arrives, I’ll have my colleague, Hunk, call me, and someone from the group can use his phone to tell you they made it alright. We can repeat the process with each group that goes down, so you get continual evidence that everyone is safe. Okay?” 

A susurrus flowed through the hostages as they considered the offer, and Lance waited. Finally, the fearful man himself was the one to voice the agreement. 

“Thank you everyone,” Lance said. He got off the table, and called Hunk again to explain the new arrangement.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be a character from Psycho-Pass showing up in this chapter, along with some mild spoilers from season 1 of said anime.

Strangely enough, it didn’t occur to Keith to try and call Lance until he overheard Rolo trying to call. And then he noticed Shiro slipping off to the side, and Hunk fidgeting with the bracelet his wrist computer was on, and Nyma glaring at her own wrist. It was embarrassing, that they’d all tried to get ahold of Keith’s boyfriend while all Keith had done was wear treads into the sidewalk with his pacing. 

After that, Keith did try to call Lance. He really did. He kept reaching for his wrist, but then stopping. He’d raise his arm halfway to his face, then lower it. He just couldn’t do it. Because what if Lance didn’t answer? What if it just rang, and rang, or what if someone else answered and told him that Lance was- 

And what if Lance _did_ answer? What was Keith supposed to say? You’re a moron? I love you? Please come back safely? Why couldn’t you have taken me with you? I’m sorry? 

After a week of not talking to Lance, Keith wasn’t sure he knew how anymore. But that was okay, right? He hadn’t known how to talk to Lance at the beginning, and they’d still worked things out. Except would Lance want to go through all the bother of that a second time? 

Keith was actually glad when he saw the figure slipping through the shadows towards the building. 

“Hunk,” he hissed into the comms. 

“Huh what?” Hunk said back. Keith had apparently startled him. Maybe Hunk had been in the middle of another attempted call to Lance. 

“I’ve spotted a suspicious person. Permission to intercept?” 

“Granted. Shiro, go with him.” 

“Understood,” Shiro replied. 

Not that Keith cared. He was already on the move. The figure was moving fast, and stealthily, and he didn’t want to risk losing them. This person might be important to the case, so he had to catch them. Also there was the fact that Keith took pride in his ability to chase down criminals. He’d never lost one yet, and he wasn’t about to start. 

Keith didn’t waste any time trying to be stealthy himself. The figure was alert enough that they’d notice him no matter how cautious he tried to be, so he might as well close as much distance as he could before they noticed him. He charged after them at full sprint, expecting his target to turn tail and run. He wasn’t expecting what did happen, which was that the figure turned to face him and tossed him over their hip, using his momentum against him. Clever. Two could play at that game. 

Keith rolled, lessening the impact of his fall and bringing himself back to his feet in one motion. The figure was already coming after him to attack, and Keith deflected a punch, trying to get inside the attacker’s reach. Like most people, the attacker was taller than Keith, and had longer limbs, and so Keith would have the best chances if he got in close. It would allow him to attack as well, and also alarmed a lot of opponents. Not this guy though. Keith hadn’t really expected it to, but he had kinda hoped. 

When Keith went inside, his opponent closed his arms around Keith’s shoulders and drove his knee upward. Keith managed to block the knee and aimed a kick at the supporting leg, hoping to take his opponent down. The man- he had a hood so Keith couldn’t see his face, but now that he was close Keith was sure it was a man- grunted and his leg shook, but he managed to stay standing. Dang. What was he made of? That had been a solid kick to the knee. But not only was he still standing, he was trying to punch some more. Keith tried to grab his arm and twist it around, but the man shook him off. At least the movement opened some distance between them. They circled. Keith didn’t even try to go for his Dominator. He knew the man would be on him before he could draw it. He supposed a smarter enforcer might have shot first rather than turn things into a fist fight, but Keith was used to others doing the shooting for him, and also he hadn’t very well expected his target to be a freaking boxer. Seriously though. This guy might even be better than Shiro. 

The man feinted, and Keith used that moment to rush in and launch an attack of his own, throwing fast punches at the man’s sternum, at his throat, at his face, anywhere that might do some damage. He was blocked time and time again, and without warning he found himself back on the defensive and being pressed back. Like Shiro, this guy had every advantage against Keith. He was taller, stronger, and while Keith was faster, that didn’t mean the opponent was slow. He wasn’t. He also was adept at reading Keith’s movements, and while Keith knew there had to be a way to beat this man- Shiro had taught him that there was always a way to beat anyone- but for the life of him, he could not think how. 

Just when Keith had been pushed back against a wall and had been reduced to a defense of holding up his arms to protect his face while stooping to keep his abs from getting hammered, Shiro arrived. He wrapped an arm around the man’s neck, pulling him back and away from Keith as the man struggled to free himself from the choke. 

“What took you so long?” Keith panted, aiming a kick at the man’s gut to try and wind him. The man gave up on trying to escape Shiro to grab Keith’s leg and sling him sideways. Keith went down, and the man achieved an angle that allowed him to wriggle free of Shiro. 

“Well maybe you should actually try waiting for people rather than charging off on your own!” Shiro scolded. “I had no idea which way you went, idiot!” 

“I wasn’t gonna let him get away!” Keith protested. 

The man attacked again before they could argue any more. He went for Keith, having figured out who the weaker link was. Like it wasn’t obvious. Shiro was so ripped Keith would swear the man had been born buff. Keith was short and wiry. Yeah, it was a pretty easy guess who would be easier to fight past. And with the odds against him, of course the man was going to try and escape. 

Keith held his ground, taking a few hits in the process. Nothing too bad, but they still hurt. Shiro attacked from the man’s left, trying to take advantage of his weak side. The man was slow to react, and Shiro got a clean hit to his jaw, knocking him backwards. The man stumbled, and Keith was on him fast, knocking him over and pummeling mercilessly so the man would have to stay on the defensive. 

“Keith, move!” Shiro ordered, and Keith rolled off the man, who wisely did not move as Shiro pointed his Dominator at him. 

“Well well well, Shinya Kogami,” Shiro murmured, and Keith gaped. The man on the ground slowly reached up and lowered his hood, revealing a face Keith had seen on wanted banners sent from the main divisions down in the capital. 

“What the hell is Shinya Kogami doing here?” Keith gasped. 

“How should I know? He’s right there, ask him yourself,” Shiro replied. 

“Aren’t you going to shoot?” Kogami asked. 

“In a minute. Keith, let the inspectors know our situation.” 

“Right.” Keith walked off to the side, well away from Kogami, and called for Hunk over the comms. “Hunk.” When Hunk didn’t reply, he tried again. “Hunk, it’s Keith. We’ve got a situation.” 

“Inspector Garret is unavailable. What’s the problem, Kogane?” Kaltenacker’s voice asked, and Keith tried not to grimace. He did not want to deal with this guy. 

“The problem is that we have an escaped enforcer from the first division here,” Keith grumbled. 

“Which one. They had a couple escapees a while back.” 

“Kogami.” 

“Shoot on sight.” 

“Well okay then.” Keith turned to Shiro and shrugged. “You heard the man. Also, dibs on not carrying him back.” 

“You should really be nicer to the man who raised you,” Shiro said, firing his Dominator. The paralyzer hit Kogami square in the chest, knocking him out. 

“Nice shooting,” Keith said, half sarcastic because it would have been hard to miss from such a short distance. 

“Quit being a little shit, or I won’t say you did a good job spotting this guy. His arrest has been a top priority.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll get a nice big bonus, except, oh wait! I’m an enforcer. I don’t get bonuses. This to me is the same as catching some small fry.” 

“But Lance could get a bonus.” 

“Assuming the eighth division doesn’t try and take the credit.” 

“Whelp, there goes my congratulations to you then. You’re still being a little shit.” 

“This from the guy who recorded me singing in the shower and sold it to the Holts in exchange for a recording of Hunk telling Lance about us all. If I’m being a little shit it’s because it’s a behavior I learned from you.” 

“How did you find out about that?” 

“Lance was with you. He heard.” 

“Oh. Oops.” 

“Yeah. Oops is right.” 

“In my defense, I didn’t know that you two were gonna end up dating at the time.” 

“Because that totally makes it okay.” 

“Shut up.” 

As soon as they reached the plaza everyone else was waiting in, Rizavi and Kinkade were there, offering to help Shiro carry the prisoner to the transport truck. Keith raised his eyebrows at Shiro, and Shiro rolled his eyes back. Out loud, their silent conversation would have sounded something like: 

“See, I told you the eighth would try and butt in.” 

“Whatever.” 

Keith sincerely hoped that the inspectors would call for another transport van, because six enforcers had already been a bit of a tight fit, and if they added in any more prisoners aside from Kogami, then it was going to be downright uncomfortable fitting them all in there. Though Keith supposed some people wouldn’t see any problem with that, since they were all latent criminals anyway. 

Before Keith could resume his pacing, Hunk was waving them over. Everyone, with the exception of Kinkade who stayed in the van with Kogami as a precaution, clustered together. 

“Okay, so Lance actually managed to pull this off, and they’re going to start releasing the hostages. He said that the hostages are going to be coming down in small groups, anywhere from 4 to 10 people at a time. There’s a couple of buses coming, once they arrive, we’ll head in and wait in the elevator lobby. When each group comes down, two of us will escort them to the buses. The first two escorts will stay with the buses, and will call Lance after each group arrives so that the new arrivals can talk to the remaining hostages and assure them that all is well. He says that everyone has agreed to cooperate, so no Dominators unless someone tries to run. Is that alright with everyone?” 

“As alright as anything your division has done today has been,” Kaltenacker replied acerbically. 

“I’m just gonna pretend that was a resounding yes,” Hunk replied. “And look! There’s the buses. Let’s go, guys.” 

The group moved inside, and as they stood by waiting for the first group to arrive, Keith found himself watching the floor number listed beside the middle elevator ticking down one number at a time. They went by so slowly, and it was agonizing. He just wanted to be done with this. He’d had his chase, he’d caught the guy, so as far as he was concerned they were done. And also, the sooner the hostages were all out of there the sooner he could make sure Lance was okay. 

The elevator arrived, and seven people stumbled out of it. Keith’s fingers itched for his Dominator, but he had his orders. With a scowl, he stayed put. 

“Is- is one of you called Hunk?” a woman getting out of the elevator asked. “Just- that inspector upstairs, he said that Hunk gives the best hugs, and…” 

“I don’t know about the best hugs,” Hunk said, “but that would be me. Why, would you like a hug?” The woman nodded. “Alright, c’mere.” 

Hunk enveloped the woman in a gentle hold, then released her after a moment. Keith barely held in a snort of disgust when he noticed tears in her eyes. She turned back to the rest of the group and breathed, “He really does give the best hugs!” and then all of them wanted a hug. Damnit. They were taking forever! At this rate, they’d be here all day! 

Finally the hugs were done, and Hunk was sending the hostages off with Rolo and Nyma, with a reminder to have them let the hostages call Lance. 

In the end, there were twelve total groups of hostages that came down. Keith accompanied five of the groups back to the buses, each time having to wait for lots of hugs. They all chattered on about how nice that Inspector McClain guy was (damn straight he was) and about how Hunk’s hugs really were the best (Keith privately disagreed. Hunk’s hugs were nice and all, but he’d take a hug from Lance over a hug from Hunk any day.). It was enough to give Keith a headache. And Lance _still_ was absentee. 

Just when Keith was about ready to begin sweeping the building to search for his errant boyfriend, Hunk got another call. 

“Heya Lance, what’s up?” Hunk asked. 

“Heya buddy, do you think Rolo and Nym-Nym can spare a Beezer or two? We’ve got a couple firearms that need to be disposed of before I can bring our perps down.” 

Firearms?!? Had Keith seriously heard Lance say firearms? He didn’t know whether to be amazed at the balls on Lance (which he already had a healthy appreciation of) or appalled that his idiot boyfriend had apparently thought it was a good idea to walk up to a couple of guys armed with guns for a round of sherry and giggles or whatever it was that had happened up there. Lance was insane! Which should have been obvious the moment Lance didn’t have a problem with dating an enforcer, but that was neither here nor there. That was a completely different level of danger. 

“Yeah, sure thing. We’ll get right on it.” Hunk hung up, then looked at Keith. “Hey Keith, would you mind?” he asked. 

Keith growled and turned on his heel to go ask Rolo about the bloody Beezers. 

Five minutes later, Keith was waiting when the Beezers returned, bearing two things that were so large they almost couldn’t be called guns anymore. It made Keith feel a little weak in the knees. The Beezers went off to dispose of the guns, and a minute later, a second elevator arrived. Two men stepped out, completely conscious, followed by Lance. 

Without a second thought, Keith drew his Dominator and fired at the closer man, and was relieved to see everyone else present did the same. 

“Guys, you really didn’t have to do that,” Lance grumbled. “They’d already surrendered.” 

“No Inspector, we really did,” Kaltenacker replied. “Rizavi, Kogane, why don’t you two take these guys back to the truck.” 

“I’ll help,” Shiro said quickly, noting that Keith and Rizavi were the two smallest enforcers and both the perps were on the heavy side. 

Keith fumed, but obeyed orders. As he walked away, he could hear the beginnings of a scolding being uttered, but then Lance was weaseling out of it by saying he ought to go check on the hostages. For one happy moment, Keith thought that maybe Lance was going to walk with him and the others, but no, Lance danced past them and left them behind. And Keith couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it was a sign of how little he meant to Lance that he could so easily be ignored. 

* * *

Lance rode on one of the buses with the hostages. Shiro ended up riding with the other bus, as the most trustworthy enforcer or something. Together, they delivered the 58 hostages safely to a therapy center, who were then escorted inside to have their psycho-passes measured and to begin their treatment. Since it seemed ridiculous to have just two people in a bus to themselves, Lance sent the buses away and called for Hunk to come pick them up. Unfortunately, this left him alone with Shiro. 

Now Shiro was a great guy, he really was. Lance respected him more than just about anyone, but that was what made being alone with Shiro so bad. It was like Shiro existed solely as a contrast to all Lance’s shortcomings. Not only that, but he was Keith’s guardian, and Lance was the boyfriend Shiro didn’t fully approve of. So being alone with Shiro was… awkward. Let’s start with that. 

“You did some nice work today,” Shiro said. 

“Oh. Thank you.” 

“Nice work, but that was really dangerous.” 

Lance sighed. 

“I know,” he mumbled. 

“I get that you want to help people Lance. And that’s a good thing. It’s what helps you be such a great inspector. But you need to consider the consequences of your actions. I know you don’t worry much about your hue because you think that other things are more important, but just because your hue doesn’t worry you doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about when you throw yourself into a volatile situation like you did today. Maybe you’ll be fine, but it’s stressful for the rest of us. For me, for Hunk, for Rolo and Nyma, and especially for Keith.” 

“Look, I’m sorry, but-” 

“Tell that to Keith, Lance. He was really worried about you. I know things have been uncomfortable between you two lately, though I don’t know what’s going on, but I do know that it hasn’t changed the way he feels about you. You really scared him today. So please, think about that a little more next time. Yes, keep thinking about the greater good and all, but please also consider what’s good for Keith as well.” 

“Alright, I will,” Lance promised. 

Silence reigned, but Lance’s curiosity got the better of him. 

“So uh, just now. You said that Keith’s feelings for me haven’t changed?” 

“Oh heavens. Please don’t try to use me as an intermediary. There are too many things I would find out that I really don’t want to know. What’s between you two is just that: between you two, so kindly leave me out of it. If you must have an intermediary, I suggest Matt or Nyma, since those two are our reigning gossip queens.” 

“Er, sorry. Just- nevermind. I’ll shut up.” Lance looked at his feet, chagrined. He hadn’t meant to bother Shiro. He just wanted to know if maybe things weren’t as bad as he feared. 

A sigh made Lance look back up. Shiro was looking at him with a mix of annoyance and sympathy written all over his face. 

“Look, Lance, I’m sorry if that was just a little harsh. It’s just that whenever Keith has a problem, he ends up coming to me to spill, and most of the time it seems to me that he’s making things into a bigger deal than they actually are, and I get a little tired of him being a drama queen. And for the past week or so, he’s been quite the drama queen. So I may be a little short on patience whenever I detect any signs of dramatics as a result. And as for Keith’s feelings, well, I’m pretty sure that the reason I’ve been having to put up with him being such a thespian is because he does care. You guys will get through this. I hope.” 

Lance decided to ignore that last bit and feel relieved. 

“Thanks Shiro. I- I think I needed to hear that.” 

“Just promise me that the two of you will hurry up and make up?” 

“Sure thing.” 

* * *

Despite his promises to Shiro, actually talking to Keith wasn’t such a simple matter. As soon as they got back to headquarters, he was ordered to head over to the eighth division so that Iverson could chew him out for disobeying the orders of a senior inspector and for abandoning his Dominator. Then he was hunted down by Pidge and Matt who wanted to chew him out for leaving them hanging. Then Rolo and Nyma found him to complain because one of the Beezers had gotten a scratch while retrieving Sal and Varkon’s guns. And then, of course, there was the paperwork to be done. And since Lance had gone off on his own, that meant he had to be that much more thorough, and since he had disobeyed orders he had to justify his actions, and basically it was a huge mess that was going to take a while and really couldn’t wait. 

Lance didn’t finish work until well after the shift was over, a little bit after midnight. He sighed, glad to be finally done with all the reports. Back when he’d decided to try out his plan, it had seemed like a good idea, but after the way today had gone, he wondered if he’d pull such a stunt a second time. Yes, all had gone well. But if he hadn’t succeeded, he probably would have made things way worse for everyone. And the paperwork was a bitch, and he was completely exhausted, and just, was it really worth it? Right now, he wasn’t so sure. Maybe he’d have a different opinion after he got some sleep. Sleep that he really needed right then. Talking to Keith would have to wait until tomorrow. Even if he had the energy to discuss matters between them, Keith was probably in bed himself by now. 

Sighing heavily, Lance began stumbling towards the door, wondering if it was worth it (or even safe) to drive home or if he should just try and make himself comfy on a couch somewhere. His eyelids were already drooping, so he was thinking a couch seemed wise. Though today had already proven that his judgment wasn’t always the greatest. But that just seemed like all the more reason not to drive. Now where were there couches again? He knew there were some in the building, but he couldn’t seem to remember where. 

“Took you long enough.” 

The voice came from the darkness outside their division offices, and startled Lance to a slightly more awake state. He gasped and staggered sideways, trying to slow his heart rate. 

“Oh my God. Oh God. You scared me,” Lance panted. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the dimmer lighting of the hall, and finally spotted a figure crouched a few feet away. “Keith? What are you doing still up?” 

“Waiting for you, obviously.” Keith’s tone was biting, hostile. So much for Shiro’s insistence that Keith had been worried. Keith got to his feet and crossed his arms, facing Lance squarely. “We need to talk.” 

“I’m in agreement with you on that, except for a couple little things, one being that its late and we’re both tired, and another being that you’re not so much talking as you are snarling right now, and I’m pretty sure there’s a good reason people don’t ever suggest snarling things out.” 

“Well you’re the one who took forever to finish things! Maybe if you didn’t take so goddamn long to get anything done-” 

“Excuse me! Paperwork takes time. You know that,” Lance fought to keep his voice steady. “If I could have gotten things done any faster, I would have. I don’t like to stay up late like this, and also I was hoping to talk to you since we really do need to talk, but I had to get that paperwork done because you know everyone’s going to be bitching at me tomorrow about things and if I didn’t turn things in they’d just have one more reason to be pissed at me.” 

“And whose fault is that?! Who’s the one who knowingly walked into a hostile situation, _unarmed_ , and completely unable to defend himself, huh?” 

“Hey, I’m not completely unable to-” 

“Like you wouldn’t have gotten your ass kicked if things came to a fight! You fucking suck at hand-to-hand! All you’re good at is shooting your goddamn Dominator, so without it, how are you supposed to do anything?!” 

Lance recoiled, hurt. How could Keith say that? Keith, who knew more than anyone just how insecure Lance felt about his fighting skills. How dare he? 

“Well at least I don’t think the solution to every fucking problem is a fist fight!” Lance shot back. “It’s no wonder you’re an enforcer and not an inspector, with that attitude! An inspector can at least tell when to try for a peaceful solution, but you, you don’t give a damn unless you get to beat someone up and prove how tough you are! Maybe what I did was stupid, but I’d rather try stupid things that get results than end up with a black eye, which, how did you even get that?” 

Seriously, how had he gotten that? Had something happened while Lance was upstairs? For a moment, he forgot his hurt and anger in concern for Keith. 

“If you know it was stupid, why did you do it?” Keith raged, not having any sudden concerns to calm his fury. “Why would you risk yourself like that? Why would you just go off on your own? Why would you leave me behind, and-” Keith cut himself off, apparently not liking the direction he’d taken. But he’d already said enough. 

“Keith,” Lance said, softening his voice as much as he could. “Keith, I’m sorry. I didn’t think and-” 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Keith huffed, intent on being difficult. Lance pursed his lips in annoyance, but took a deep breath and continued. 

“I didn’t think before I acted, I just saw an opportunity and took it. I knew that Hunk and Kaltenacker were against my idea, and I assumed that everyone else would be as well, so I didn’t say anything and just went ahead and did it. I’m sorry I worried you Keith, I really am. Next time, I’ll-” 

“There had better not be a next time, Lance!” Keith hissed. 

“ _Next time_ ,” Lance continued, trying not to grit his teeth. “I’ll try and give you some kind of signal, or tell you what I’m planning, okay? That way, if there is a fist fight, at least I’ll have the expert with me, right?” He tried to be lighthearted, hoping to placate Keith. No good. Keith merely glared at him. 

“Look,” Lance sighed, “as I already said, we’re both tired, so let’s go get some sleep, and tomorrow, when we’re maybe a little less grumpy, we can talk for real, okay?” 

“Yeah, sure. Whatever,” Keith spat. “We both know you’ll just have another excuse for postponing this conversation then as well.” 

Well that was rich coming from the guy who had avoided Lance for the past week. But no, it wasn’t worth it to point that out now since it would just rekindle the flames of their fight. Better to let it go. They’d talk the next morning. For now, Lance had a couch to find.


	8. Chapter 8

Lance knew he didn’t look like himself. He was still in yesterday’s work clothes, the bags under his eyes were even worse, and he hadn’t showered. He’d spent several hours tossing and turning before finally falling asleep around dawn. He’d been woken up ten minutes before the start of the shift by Shiro, who was kind enough to at least have a cup of coffee for Lance. Loaded with sugar, just like how Lance liked it. 

“Shiro, you’re a godsend,” Lance moaned. 

“I’m also the bearer of lots of bad news. And the coffee’s from Hunk, by the way. Not me. He said he’s still mad at you, but you’re gonna need it.” 

The thing about Hunk was that, when he did get angry, he did so in silence. Hunk would cool off on his own if you let him be, but until then he had to avoid dealing with the source of his anger lest he rekindle his ire. He hadn’t spoken to Lance at all during the ride back the night before, and apparently now he was using indirect methods of communication when he needed to talk to Lance. Ouch. 

“Oh god. What’s happened now?” Lance groaned. 

“Well, first off, Hunk read your report and he said that the last two pages were completely incoherent- not surprising, given what a long day you had, but still not acceptable- and you need to redo it before he can turn it in, and that has to be done as soon as possible since he needs to turn in the overall reports by the end of the day and who knows what could happen today.” 

“Aw shit. Okay, what else have you got? No need to hold back, I’m already about as low as it gets.” 

“Second, he recommends that you make an appointment with Shay; a recommendation that I second, by the way. As do the Holts and Rolo and Nyma and Shay herself and probably the eighth division as well- I can’t say for sure since I’ve been trying to avoid dealing with them since they tend to think of me as an inspector too, and since that would make me yours and Hunk’s senior, they tend to hold me responsible for you guys.” 

“Sure thing, will do. Anything else?” 

“Third, he wanted to go ahead and begin interrogating Sal, Varkon, and Kogami as soon as they’re awake, and protocol dictates that he inform you of such plans and invite you along.” 

“Kogami… Kogami… Why does that name sound familiar?” 

“He’s a wanted AWOL enforcer from the capital.” 

“AWOL enf- oh! Shinya Kogami? Oh wow. What’s he doing here?” 

“That’s one of the things we hope to ask him.” 

“Oh. Okay. Wait, no, not okay, when the hell did he get caught?” 

“Yesterday. While you were inside. Keith spotted him and he and I gave chase.” 

“Wait, seriously? Wow. Hey, is that where Keith got the black eye?” 

“It is. Kogami always was known for his fighting skill.” 

“Damn. He must be really good to have gotten a hit on Keith. I never even touch him. And yeah, everyone knows I suck and all, but also Keith is just that good.” 

“He’d be touched to know you have such faith in him.” 

“I doubt it. He’s kinda pissed at me.” 

“And that brings me to the last thing, which I probably shouldn’t mention since you’ll end up trying to pump me for more information, but I’ll have you know that I got even less sleep than usual last night, on account of Keith coming to whine to me because he yelled at you. He is mad at you, but he really didn’t mean to turn it into ‘a shouting match in the middle of the hall’- his exact words- but I wouldn’t expect to see much of him at work today.” 

“What? Why not?” 

“Lack of sleep, a probable hangover, and shame. I swear to god I didn’t raise him to be such a drama queen, so how did he turn out this way?” 

“Uh-” 

“Rhetorical question. If I got an answer, I might feel a little more guilty about bitching and moaning about his antics.” 

“Right. Well, uh, thanks for the coffee, and for filling me in. I’ll get-” Lance burped, and god was that embarrassing. “I’ll get right to work as soon as I’m feeling… alive. Ish.” 

“Good luck with that,” Shiro said, patting Lance on the shoulder before leaving. 

Yeah, Lance would need all the luck he could get to feel alive-ish right now. 

Lance had just enough time to gulp down his coffee and make a quick run to the bathroom before he had to clock in for his shift. Everyone in the office ignored him, and while it saddened him, he supposed that less chit-chat aimed at him meant more focusing on his report. As he glanced over it, he could see why Hunk had sent it back. For one thing, the grammar was… not Japanese like the report was supposed to be. It was gibberish. There were also so very many typos, and he’d used his native Spanish _a lot_. Like, there were Spanish words thrown in at random, and even a whole paragraph where he had switched over to his mother tongue. Oops. Good thing angry Hunk wasn’t a petty ass who would turn this in just to watch Lance get roasted by the chief. 

Miraculously, Lance finished up his rewrite at the same time a memo came in stating that Kogami was awake. Hunk was on his feet and halfway to the door before Lance could even get out of his chair. 

“Hunk wait!” Lance called after him. 

Hunk stopped in his tracks, but otherwise didn’t respond. 

“Er, don’t you think it’d be a good idea to take Shiro? For extra muscle in case that guy tries to escape?” 

Hunk heaved a sigh and nodded. 

“Shiro, are you free to come with?” Lance asked, since Hunk seemed intent on not talking. 

“Yup, just a sec,” Shiro said, opening a drawer at his desk to stow the toy spaceship he’d been playing with. Once he’d put the shuttle away, he got to his feet, following after Hunk. Lance trailed at the rear, knowing his duty required him to tag along even though he was not wanted. The three men walked to the interrogation room in silence. 

Hunk was at least kind enough to hold the door for Lance, and Lance slipped in and stationed himself to the left of the door, where Shiro had already taken a position at the right. Kogami was already in the room, seated at a table on the side farthest from the door. Across from him was a vacant chair, which Hunk took. 

“Good morning, Mr. Kogami,” Hunk began. “I’m Inspector Garrett of the seventh division of the MWPSB. Behind me is my partner, Inspector McClain, and one of our subordinates, Enforcer Shirogane.” 

“The enforcer and I are already acquainted,” Kogami said wryly. 

“Er, sorry,” Shiro apologized. “No hard feelings?” 

“Had our positions been reversed I would have done the same. No hard feelings.” 

“Mr. Kogami, we have some questions we wish to ask you,” Hunk began, but Kogami cut him off. 

“Let me guess: what was I doing there yesterday, right?” 

“We can start with that, yes,” Hunk agreed. 

“It’s simple. Once a hunting dog, always a hunting dog.” 

Lance’s hands involuntarily clenched into fists. 

“Please elaborate,” Hunk said calmly. Or almost calmly. Lance knew the big guy well enough to notice the slightest flatness to Hunk’s voice that wasn’t usually there: a sign that Hunk was upset. Hunk didn't like the comparison any more than Lance, after all. 

“Inspector, have you ever had to handle a case where the perpetrator is criminally asymptomatic?” 

“I thought that was a myth,” Lance blurted out before he could stop himself. 

“That is the official stance,” Shiro said slowly, “but the official stance also says that eustress deficiency is an urban legend as well and that most certainly is true. In some ways, I’ve always wondered if the denial doesn’t confirm it.” 

“Our division has never handled any such cases,” Hunk said. “And I do not know of anyone in this district who has. Why do you ask?” 

“Because being criminally asymptomatic is entirely possible, and such criminals cannot be dealt with using conventional means. Someone has to go outside the law. And who better than an AWOL enforcer?” 

“And how does this relate to your presence at our crime scene yesterday?” Hunk asked. 

“When sniffing out potential criminals who are unable to be judged, one hears about other crimes in the works. And while I may be a latent criminal, that doesn’t mean I can just stand by and let such things happen. I heard about the situation yesterday. I arrived at the scene and found the MWPSB present, but inactive. I decided to try and handle things myself.” 

“We were inactive because someone decided to act on their own and thus limited our options for action,” Hunk said. Lance flinched at his tone. Kogami noticed, judging by the way his eyes locked onto Lance. 

“And just what did that someone do?” he asked, his eyes drilling holes into Lance’s skull. 

“That information is-” 

“I went inside to try and negotiate face to face,” Lance mumbled, interrupting Hunk. “Unarmed. Didn’t tell anyone.” 

“Lance!” Hunk huffed. 

“Why did you do that?” Kogami asked. Lance knew he shouldn’t answer, but somehow the question seemed important to Kogami. Like depending on what Lance said, he might get this man to spill his guts or to clam up. Lance gulped, feeling pressured, both by the weight of the question and also by the glares of his colleagues. 

“That’s not-” Hunk began, but Lance again cut him off. 

“I wanted a peaceful outcome,” Lance blurted. 

“ _Lance!_ ” Hunk warned. 

“I- I wanted to avoid a situation where the victims became just as guilty as the criminals in the eyes of Sybil.” Lance met Kogami’s gaze, matching the piercing stare of the other with a sincere stare of his own. 

Kogami nodded slowly. Had that been the right answer? 

“Then I’ll tell you this, Inspector. All of you had better be careful. I wasn’t able to investigate fully, but I know this: lots of criminals have been flocking to this area. They believe that some kind of revolution is going to happen here. Whatever happens, you guys had better prepare yourselves. You don’t want to get caught with your guard down when all Hell breaks loose.” 

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Hunk said. “I think that’ll be all for now.” 

He stood, and led the way out, Shiro and Lance following behind him. As soon as the door closed, Hunk rounded on Lance. 

“What was that?!” Hunk asked, his voice cracking in agitation. “We were supposed to be interrogating _him_ , not the other way around!” 

“I thought I could connect with him. And I think I did. And we did find out what we wanted, didn’t we?” Lance felt himself shrinking. Here he wanted to redeem himself to everyone, but instead he was just screwing up anew. Great. 

_Guess that means everyone was right about you, doesn’t it?_ The ugly side of Lance’s mind asked. 

_No. Just because I’ve messed up a bit doesn’t make them right._ Lance tried to argue. 

_Why don’t you ask Keith what he thinks?_ The ugly side taunted back. 

“You- you- I can’t do this!” Hunk growled. “I’m going to talk to Sal and Varkon. Go see Shay, Lance. Maybe she can talk some sense into you.” 

“Wait, shouldn’t I be there too?” Lance protested. 

“Iverson’s orders. He found it a bit suspicious that you were able to go in unarmed and bring everyone out unharmed, especially since they had almost the same exact situation but things ended up being a mess on their end. Until he’s certain you’re not an accomplice, you don’t talk to either of those two.” 

“But-!” 

Shiro lay a hand on Lance’s shoulder and shook his head. 

“You really should go talk to Shay, Lance,” he said in a low voice before following after Hunk. 

Lance stood there, thunderstruck, before shaking himself. With a sigh, he headed off in the opposite direction, heading to the elevators so he could go visit the MWPSB therapist. 

When Lance arrived in Shay’s outer office, he paused a moment to breathe in the atmosphere. Where most therapist offices Lance had seen tried to go for a generic warm and cozy feel, Shay had sculpted her office into someplace magical. The holos on the walls were set to mimic a cave full of crystals and geodes, complete with a waterfall cascading into a shimmering pool. Soft strains of music filtered into the room, soothing melodies making the room seem comforting rather than eerie. An air freshener spread an earthy scent, accented with the aroma of soup. Shay had once explained to Lance that she felt a deep connection to the Earth, and thought that an atmosphere that appealed to her would feel more inviting than one that she was indifferent to. 

Lance knocked on the door and was admitted by Shay herself. Shay was tall, with a broad build that made her seem larger than she was. She was self-conscious about her size, often shrinking in on herself. Only Hunk seemed to change that aspect of her, since he was just as tall and just as broad. They were a good match, and Lance wished the two of them all the happiness in the world. 

“Lance,” Shay greeted warmly. Though she just kinda exuded warmth in general. It was who she was. “It’s so good to see you! You don’t come by often enough.” There was just the slightest hint of reproach in her voice. 

“Well, you know how it is,” Lance teased back. “I didn’t wanna ruin your wonderful relationship with Hunk. I know I’m just irresistible, and so my very presence could be detrimental to the feelings between you two.” 

“Oh stop it,” Shay said with a roll of her eyes. It was always like this between Shay and Lance. Or it was ever since she’d realized that he wasn’t seriously flirting with her. It had been really awkward the first time he’d dropped a line without thinking and made her uncomfortable. He hadn’t meant to be a creep that time, though. Shay was just so easy to be around that he naturally fell into a rhythm as if they were old friends and she would know he only said things like that jokingly. “But really, Lance. It shouldn’t take orders from above to get you to come see a therapist. Your job is stressful. We have to make sure you are handling it properly.” 

“I appreciate the concern, Shay, you know I do, but my hue’s been fine. Though it might be a little cloudier than normal today, I suppose. Things have been a little rough as of late.” 

“Let me see,” Shay said, and did a cymatic scan. Lance waited patiently as his results were announced. 

“Lance McClain,” the mechanical voice of Shay’s AI assistant announced. “Today’s hue is sky blue. Crime coefficient is 28. Keep up the good work!”* 

Shay frowned. 

“Sky blue?” she asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you at anything other than baby blue. It’s still not that clouded though. Either you’re not that stressed or even stressed out you just have no tendency towards crime.” 

“Who knows?” Lance said, shrugging. “Either way, I’m really doing fine, Shay. And yeah, I do have some problems at the moment, but they’re the kinds of problems I should be talking to those involved about, not you. I’ll get it sorted, I promise.” 

“Unfortunately, Lance, it’s not that simple. After what happened yesterday, I am required to give you a thorough mental examination. Even if it weren’t required, I’ve gotten requests to do so from everyone in your division, the lab techs, and even from about half of the eighth division. People are worried about you, Lance. Like it or not, we need to talk some more.” 

“You do know that I’ve had to undergo several mental examinations through the years, right?” Lance asked. “First it was a requirement for our visas, and then for citizenship, and then they did everyone in my grade at school since we had so many drop-outs, and so on. People are always worried, Shay. I’ve passed all the ones up until now, I don’t see how another mental examination is going to go any differently.” 

“To be honest, I don’t either. Your psych profile does indicate that you’ve always been a risk-taker. But the risks you’ve taken recently have those who are not so thoroughly well-versed on your profile concerned. Let’s just do this real quick to reassure them, okay? Once it’s done I can send out a memo telling everyone that yes you are still sane.” 

“Well, there goes my afternoon,” Lance sighed, but he settled in for the barrage of questions. Still, if it got people off his back, it would be worth it. 

* * *

Two hours later, Lance emerged from Shay’s office, eyes streaming a bit as they readjusted to the normal lighting. The test had gone as usual, with the same kinds of questions to which Lance gave the same kinds of answers. But in a way, it was still relaxing, since it was so familiar to him. Sure, the tests usually accompanied unpleasant things, but he was used to it. He could deal. 

Apparently Hunk had cooled down some, because Lance had no sooner returned to his desk in their office than Hunk had plopped down beside him. 

“So you may have screwed up pretty royally,” Hunk sighed, “but thanks to you, we know that something big is happening around here. Sal and Varkon said they were hired to take the hostages. They said someone promised to help them clear their hues if they did this, and that they’d be able to return to their old jobs. What they told me matches up with what Kogami said to you before.” 

“Yesterday they said that the plan was to get all the scanners turned off,” Lance mused. “Which would have the same basic result, but to clear someone's hue completely? Is that even possible?” 

“No idea. But there’s always rumors of such miracle cures.” 

“I guess if your hue is clouded, then such rumors are your last hope,” Lance mused. “So? What now?” 

“Sal had a name. Janka. It might be an alias, so I don’t know how far it can take us, but right now, it’s our only lead.” 

“Not much to go,” Lance said, drawing in a breath through his teeth so that it hissed. 

“No, it’s not,” Hunk agreed. “To make things worse, I think that we’d be alone in our investigations.” 

“Oh, is that why you’ve decided to start talking to me again?” 

“Partly. But also what you did got us results, and really… in the end, I think it was the right thing. Especially since I saw the ninth division’s report on what happened on their end. The situation could have turned out a lot worse than it did, and it’s thanks to you that we got such a happy ending. Next time, I’ll try and consider what you say more thoroughly, so please, communicate with the rest of us. At the very least, take enforcers with you. I know you hate giving them orders, but if you did order them to come with you, they wouldn’t be able to argue.” 

“Alright. So where should we look for this Janka?” 

“Sal said Janka always was the one to get in touch with them. The best we can do is ask around.” 

“But that could alert Janka to our investigations and scare him off.” 

“I know. But it’s the best we have.” 

Lance sat for a moment, pondering. An idea occurred to him. It was brilliant. Actually, scratch that, it was probably just as insane as his plan from yesterday. But he couldn’t be sure unless he brought it up. 

“Do you think Kogami might have different ideas?” he asked. Hunk stared at him. 

“Maybe,” Hunk nodded, considering. “I guess we can try and interrogate him again.” 

“We-ell,” Lance said slowly. “This _might_ be a terrible idea, but what if we had him in the field with us? Like, reinstated him as an enforcer, at least temporarily?” 

“That’s crazy!” Hunk immediately protested. “We don’t have the authority to decide that!” 

“Oh. Right. I didn’t think about the red tape involved. Okay, nevermind. We won’t do that.” 

“I literally just promised to consider your ideas and now I’m already rejecting one. Let’s talk it over with everyone else, see what they think. It’s playing with fire, but he would be an asset to our investigation. I mean, I was looking at his record earlier, after talking to Varkon and Sal, and his intuition is cited as a deciding factor in cases _a lot_. Plus, he studied under Jouji Saiga, and- oh, you probably don’t know who that is, but he’s-” 

“Only the most famous professor of criminal psychology there ever was!” Lance interrupted. “Of course I know who Professor Saiga is! He’s legendary!” 

“So’s Kogami, but Shiro said you had to be reminded of who he was.” 

“That’s different. Kogami’s famous in a bad way. Saiga’s like a god.” 

“You do realize that Saiga’s pretty infamous himself, right?” 

“What, that whole ‘talking to him will cloud your hue’ stuff? That’s nonsense.” Lance waved a hand in dismissal. 

“I agree, but given that that’s what he’s most famous for…” 

“Whatever. Anyway, you were saying you think Kogami could really help us out, but we really ought to make sure everyone’s on board with us doing this, right?” 

“Right. I’ll go find Rolo and Nyma. With any luck, they’re probably with the Holts working on modifying a Beezer, so I can get them too, which just leaves Shiro and Keith to you.” 

“Okay, though I was told Keith might be taking a sick day.” 

“A sick day? Keith? The same guy who we had to place under house arrest just to keep him from coming to work when he had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius and was barely even conscious? That Keith?” 

“Er, it might have something to do with the fact that he and I had a bit of a shouting match last night.” 

Hunk flinched. 

“Oh, sorry man. Er, if you’d rather I go…” 

“I’ll ask Shiro to. Though if he’s mad at me, somehow I don’t see Keith coming out unless there’s an alarm.” 

“Yeah, I suppose,” Hunk sighed. “Well anyway, good luck.” 

“You too.” 

Lance found Shiro in the cafeteria, loading up a plate of food that was undoubtedly for Keith. Something about the fact that it was full of spicy foods and Shiro started crying from anything hotter than the mildest salsa, and his digestive tract tended to have problems with it as well. And while Shiro was harsh on himself, he was not known for self-punishment. 

“Shiro, just the man I wanted to see,” Lance sang as he swooped in. 

“What’s up?” Shiro asked. 

“Team meeting in fifteen minutes. If you could try and coax Keith out to join us when you take him that, it would be a huge help. It won’t give him much time to eat, but it’s kinda important.” 

“Got it. Don’t expect too much though,” Shiro warned. 

“I already told Hunk that I really don’t think Keith’ll show, but I wouldn’t mind being proven wrong. It’d be good if he came to the meeting, but if he’s unwilling, no need to use force or anything. It’s not _that_ important. But we would like everyone to be there.” 

“Okay.” Shiro nodded and headed off to the division’s enforcer quarters to go find Keith, leaving Lance to realize he hadn’t eaten yet either. He grabbed the quickest meal he could think of and chowed down on it so fast it was a wonder he didn’t get a stomach ache. It barely took the edge off of his hunger. He’d have to come back for more later, and remember not to skip breakfast again in the future. 

Lance arrived back at the division office as the group Hunk had gone to find was filing in. Pidge scowled at him, Matt turned up his nose, Rolo didn’t wave, and Nyma gave him a look. They were all still mad at him too. Lance slunk in after them, joining Hunk where he was standing in the middle of the room while everyone took their seats at their desks. Shiro filed in a minute later, a slight shake of his head indicating that Keith had decided not to come. Lance heaved a sigh, but shrugged in understanding. 

“Okay, I guess that’s everyone who’s coming then,” Hunk began. “So, first off, this meeting is to discuss an option for how to proceed. Right now, it is only that: an option. Nothing is set in stone. We realize it is a risky move, and wanted to get your guys’s input first because we are a team and need to trust each other. You guys can totally veto this. But please at least give us a chance to explain our reasoning first.” 

“Well that’s not ominous at all,” Pudge murmured. 

“So? What is it?” Matt asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair he’d selected. 

“We were thinking of temporarily reinstating Kogami as an enforcer to help us investigate a potential uprising.” 

Lance was surprised when there wasn’t immediate rejection. Did that mean they all thought it was a good idea, or did that mean they just didn’t understand the implications of it? 

“And your reasoning was…?” Rolo asked, and Lance realized that no, they were just waiting to hear what had conceived such a brainless idea. 

“This morning, during interrogations, both Kogami and our perpetrators yesterday said that something big is being planned around here,” Lance explained. “We don’t know what, or when. All we were able to get is a name that might be an alias. We have little to go on, and as good as our team is, I don’t know if we’ll be enough. Kogami was already investigating this matter, so he has a head start on us. If we work with him, we might be able to work more efficiently. We know that Kogami could betray us at any moment, but we think it’s worth the risk. Besides, if anything goes wrong, we’re probably the ones at most risk.” 

“And that’s the part that bothers me,” Nyma said. “You guys are the ones who get set up to fall. If he escapes, it gets hung on your heads, and worst case scenario, we end up with two new inspectors. And that’s a problem. You guys are good guys. Like, yes, you’re good because you’re not latent criminals, and also we’re all good in that we’re fighting crime or whatever, but also you’re good guys as in you care about people and want what’s best for everyone and not just yourselves. Plus you let us get away with a lot of stuff. Do you think any other division would let us modify the drones for our own purposes? They wouldn’t.” 

“Not to mention that if Kogami were to try and escape, you two would be put in danger,” Shiro observed. “An enforcer can shoot another enforcer with a Dominator. But we cannot shoot an inspector. He can paralyze any of us, but you two he would have to fight, and fighting is what he excels at whereas it is the weak point for both of you.” 

“Also, since when did we take the word of latent criminals as fact?” Matt asked. “Our sources are two suspects who could easily be cooperating with us in order to lead us on a wild goose chase, and one former inspector who was demoted and then blatantly defied direct orders from his superiors. You sure you wanna stake so much on sources like that, Hunk?” 

“Yes,” Hunk replied, “because I think the potential benefits are worth the risks. Maybe everyone’s lying to us. But if they are, we’re well-equipped to find out the truth before it bites us in the butt. You guys are good at your jobs, and so you’ll notice any inconsistencies, any signs that something is off. I know it. Lance knows it. That’s why we’re willing to try this.” 

“Plus, y’know, trusting what latent criminals say is kiiinda part of our jobs as inspectors,” Lance said, and received more than a few scowls as a reward for it. 

“I think we should do it,” Pidge said. Everyone turned to look at her and she shifted uncomfortably. “This is the first I’m hearing anything about a potential uprising, but you said Kogami was already investigating. Meaning that if he’s telling the truth, then we’re already behind. He saw something we missed, and who knows what else we might miss? We’ve got the Beezers, they can help detain him if he tries to escape. Matt and I can rig up some secondary protocols just in case too.” 

“Pidge, you’re the best,” Lance said. 

“However,” Pidge continued, turning to hone in on Lance, “we need to make sure he’s okay with this too. It’s all well and good if we all agree to have him on the team, but if he doesn’t want to be part of the team, it’ll all be for naught.” 

“Of course.” Lance nodded, and from the corner of his eye he saw Hunk also nodding. 

“Well, if the genius thinks it’s a go, I say why not?” Rolo agreed. “I’m not wild about the chance of getting shot because I’ve heard the Paralyzer hurts like a vixen, but that just means we’ll have to be extra careful is all.” 

“I suppose trying to figure out ways to keep him from hurting you guys might be fun,” Matt said after a long moment. He looked sidelong at Pidge and grinned. “I’ve already got some ideas if you don’t, little sis.” 

“Oh please, of course I have ideas,” Pidge grinned back. 

“Oh fine!” Nyma grumbled, interrupting the goading between the Holt siblings. Pidge and Matt could tease each other all day, all night, and all week if you let them. “I’m not gonna be the one to gainsay something everyone else thinks is a good thing. This had better not go wrong because I don’t want to have to break in a new inspector.” 

“So that’s four out of five since Keith’s absentee,” Hunk said, looking meaningfully at Shiro. Shiro groaned. 

“I miss the days when I was still an inspector. Everything was simpler then. None of this ‘here’s a terrible idea that is actually the best way to proceed’ bullshit. I don’t like it, but I think we do need to reinstate him.” 

Lance did a fist pump. Having full agreement sure was nice. 

“But I guarantee you Keith will be against it,” Shiro added. So much for full agreement. 

“Yeah, but Keith doesn’t like any kind of change,” Nyma argued. “Remember how rude he was to Hunk at first, or how he tried to convince Allura not to leave since he didn’t want to have a new inspector? He’ll get over it. And if not, oh well.” 

“Yeah, but he got over Hunk’s arrival since no one can hate Hunk and Lance’s arrival because he wanted to snog him,” Matt pointed out. “Somehow, I doubt either of those are going to be the case with Kogami. I mean, Hunk’s one of a kind- or maybe one of two since Shay- and Kogami’s not anywhere near as pretty as Lannykins.” 

“Um, thanks I think?” Hunk said tentatively. 

“Guys, c’mon,” Lance said. “Keith’s a reasonable guy. Sometimes. Maybe it’ll take some getting used to, but I’m sure if we get results, particularly ones that allow him to do his thing, he’ll warm up to the idea.” 

Everyone gave Lance skeptical looks that he knew the statement merrited. 

“Alright, so we’ll have to keep an eye on Keith as well as Kogami,” he acknowledged. “Does that change anyone’s stances?” 

The enforcers looked at each other and shrugged. 

“I’m gonna take that as a no, you’re all still on board. Great! Then, Hunk, anything else you wanted to say or can we adjourn this baby and go talk to Kogami?” 

“I think that’s all for now,” Hunk agreed. “Thanks guys. And if at any point you feel uncomfortable about this arrangement, let us know and we can cancel it.” 

Lance was already at the door, ready to go and solidify this plan. As everyone began to get up and go back to their business, Hunk joined him, and they walked together to Kogami’s interrogation room. Lance held the door for Hunk, who once again took the chair. 

“Back so soon?” Kogami asked. 

“Yes. We were curious about your investigation,” Hunk said. “And had a bit of a proposition for you.” 

“Oh?” Kogami cocked an eyebrow. 

“Would you like to continue your investigation?” Hunk asked. 

Kogami frowned, trying to seek out the true meaning of the words. 

“Inspectors can’t just allow a latent criminal to roam free,” he said finally. 

“You wouldn’t be roaming free,” Hunk said calmly. “You’d be participating in the seventh division’s investigations. You already know more than we do, and we could use your help, if you’re willing. So, would you mind being an enforcer again?” 

“I never had a problem with being an enforcer,” Kogami replied. “What I had a problem with was the failures of Sybil. It’s judgment is not as flawless and impartial as everyone likes to think, and it’s priorities are out of order. I was given a choice, to either stay an enforcer, or to stop a dangerous murderer from ever harming anyone again. I chose the latter, because once upon a time, I joined the MWPSB in order to do that. It was a paradoxical situation. I could continue to mete out justice by failing to do so once, or I could stop being just by seeing justice done. If such a situation comes up again, then I would make the same choice again. But, barring that, I would gladly help your investigation. In the end, our goals are the same, after all.” 

“Excellent,” Lance said, beaming. 

Hunk waited a moment longer, checking to see if Kogami’s psycho-pass had fluctuated at all, which would indicate a lie. After a moment he nodded, then turned back to Kogami. 

“Next question: does the name ‘Janka’ mean anything to you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, * indicates a line taken pretty much directly from the Psycho-Pass anime (subbed version). And again, I own nothing.


	9. Chapter 9

Keith was completely ashamed of himself. Taking a day off? That wasn’t like him. But he needed time to himself. Time to make certain he wouldn’t lose control of himself again. 

He’d been told time and time again since he was a child that his temper would get the better of him if he wasn’t careful. So he’d learned to count to ten and take deep breaths and all that other anger management stuff, and he’d been good. It had all been fine. Until yesterday that is. 

He hadn’t meant to shout at Lance. Hadn’t meant to get so angry, so accusatory. So hostile and belligerent. He’d just been worried. He’d wanted to make sure Lance was okay, to beg him not to do anything like that ever again. Only then long hours had passed before he could do that, and by the time a chance came around he was angry at Lance for making him wait, for putting him second, for so many things that he couldn’t even explain, and before he knew it his anger was talking for him. Just as he’d been warned against since they’d noticed he had a borderline hue. 

God, he was so stupid. How could he face Lance ever again? There was no way Lance would forgive him. If it were the other way around, he certainly wouldn’t forgive Lance. Shiro had told him this kind of thinking was ridiculous. That of course Lance would forgive him if he just apologized. Maybe grovelled a little for good measure. He’d said that just because Keith wouldn’t forgive so easily didn’t mean Lance would do the same. After all, the whole reason enforcers existed was because they thought like criminals and inspectors didn’t. But even so, Keith just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Probably because deep down, he knew Lance deserved better than him. 

Even with his wallowing, Keith only allowed himself one day. Two days after the hostage situation, he was up at his usual hour, struggling with his tie as always. He thought about messing it up intentionally, so that Lance would see and come fix it with his usual laugh of “you’re so hopeless,” but decided against it. Lance probably would find it more irritating than endearing today. So Keith did the best that he could, and it wasn’t perfect but it looked halfway decent and would stay in place and that was what mattered, right? Though in Keith opinion, they shouldn’t even have been wearing ties. It was dangerous. But no, they had to look “professional” and that meant ties. Actual ones, not holos. Stupid. 

When Keith walked into the office, he found a few things had changed in the day he’d been gone. The center aisle of the office now contained a large holoscreen that was covered in notes and pictures with lines connecting some of them, like an old-fashioned bulletin board with pins connected by strings. Everyone looked like they had slept in the office- Nyma was even still curled up in a corner snoozing away. Lance looked like crap. One look at him made Keith want to pick him up and carry him back to his room in the enforcers’ quarters and make him sleep for a week. 

But the biggest change of all was the newly occupied seventh desk. 

“What the hell is _he_ doing here?” Keith spat as soon as he spotted Kogami. 

Shiro, whose head had been dropping in a light doze, shot up from his chair, knocking it over. 

“Keith! Oh my god, I’m sorry. I forgot to warn you that Kogami’s been temporarily reinstated as an enforcer. He’ll be aiding us in our investigation.” 

“Like he aided us two days ago?” Keith shot back. 

“Keith, I know it’s less than ideal, but we need him,” Lance said, coming up to stand in front of Keith. 

“No we don’t!” 

“Yes we _do_ , Keith.” Lance’s voice was firm, brooking no argument. Keith clenched and unclenched his fists a couple times, trying to calm himself. 

“I don’t like it,” Keith grumbled. 

“You don’t have to like it. All we ask is that when the time comes, you continue to do what you do best: run down anyone who is a target for enforcement.” 

“Fine,” Keith huffed. Largely because with Lance standing so close, it made him just want to kiss Lance and hold him close, and they’d decided long ago that their relationship was best to keep as quiet as possible. Their division was fine, but outsiders probably wouldn’t understand. 

“Thank you,” Lance said, and his voice was so sincere Keith almost broke down and spilled out an apology right there. Except apologies were something to be done in private. 

“Actually, you really didn’t need to show up,” Hunk said from where he was setting up a coffee maker. “We switched shifts with the ninth for a while so we can follow a lead we have on Janka.” 

“Um, what’s Janka?” Keith asked. 

“Janka is our current lead,” Hunk explained. “If we can find out who he is, we can bring him in for questioning.” 

“Hopefully,” Kogami said, spinning his chair around to face them as he entered the conversation. “Chances are, he himself is a latent criminal and is under deep cover. Either that or he knows next to nothing, but that’s unlikely after the situation two days ago.” 

“So Janka has something to do with the hostage situation we dealt with?” Keith asked. 

“Yeah,” Lance said. “He apparently hired the guys we caught to do that. He probably hired the guys the ninth division dealt with as well. Him or someone like him anyway. According to Kogami, he’s heard whispers of Janka and others like him going around recruiting. But when he tried to find out more, he instead caught wind of our friends who were taking hostages and deemed that more important, and now, here we are.” 

“So what’s this lead on Janka?” Keith asked. 

“We’ve confirmed with Varkon and Sal where they met Janka,” Kogami explained. “Both of them met him in bars, though different ones. We probably won’t find him at either of them, given what happened, but we can try and check around. See if we notice anything about the bars themselves, and listen in for anything that might point us to him. With any luck, we might find enough to help us smoke out the other recruiters as well. But we’ll have to go undercover to manage it.” 

“Pidge and Matt have made us _the coolest_ clothing holos,” Lance gushed. 

“What if the bars have anti-holo tech?” Keith asked. 

“The Holts would be offended to hear you even ask that,” Rolo said drily. 

“Sorry guys,” Keith said, looking at the nearest security camera. 

There was no response, and Keith hoped that wasn’t a sign of the Holts already plotting some sort of vengeance against him. 

“Anyway,” Hunk said, “we’ll be taking the evening shift so we can hit the bars, and we wanted to leave as soon as the shift starts, so we’ll meet in the garage instead of here.” 

“So what are our teams?” Nyma asked, grumbling. “Because I assume we’re going to divide and conquer, which means going in cars. Not to mention the transport vans would be a dead giveaway as to who we are, regardless of outfits.” 

“If we want to make this convincing, I’m thinking Lance should be with you and Rolo,” Hunk replied. “And Kogami will come along with the rest of us.” 

Keith felt a protest at the tip of his tongue, but he stopped it. It made sense, he knew it did. Lance, Rolo, and Nyma were all reasonably social creatures. They were outgoing and friendly, and people would talk to them and tell them things. Meanwhile, he and Shiro and Hunk were more reserved. Shiro and Hunk could at least talk to people, but were more inclined to listen, and Keith just didn’t deal with people at all if he could help it. The three of them would be good at overhearing the conversations of others. And while they didn’t know enough about Kogami to figure out how social he was yet, it made sense for him to be in the same group as Shiro, who was closest to him in age. Placed with Rolo and Nyma and Lance, Kogami would stick out like a sore thumb. But that didn’t change the fact that Keith wanted Lance where he could keep an eye on him. Plus, it was a bar. If they were working together, they could have a couple drinks, chat a little bit, maybe even sneak in a dance because that was always nice… Like a real date, only they’d be working. 

With the change in shifts, Keith figured the best thing to do would be to go work out for a while and then take a nap. He cast one last rueful look at Lance, wishing he could invite his boyfriend along but knowing that Lance needed rest more. He thought about offering to let Lance rest up in his room, but he supposed they ought to make up first. So Keith left on his own to go change and entered the gym, setting the battle-bot to the highest setting. Ideally, Shiro would be here to spar with, but today was less than ideal. Much less than ideal. He’d thought two days ago had been bad, but apparently that was just the beginning. Actually no, the beginning had been the moment he’d felt the need to start avoiding Lance. God he was stupid. 

Sometimes Keith would visualize the faces of people he disliked while fighting the battle-bot. Today, he was fighting his idiotic self. 

Keith stayed in the gym until lunch. He stopped fighting for a bit to lift some weights, then ran for a while on one of the treadmills, before going back to trying to pummel his problems. After lunch, he took a quick nap before going down to meet everyone in the garage. 

Everyone looked much more awake when they met. They also looked… different. They’d already put on their clothing holos for going out, and it was nothing like their work clothes. For work they were required to wear suits, but right now, Keith was seeing a lot of jackets and jeans. And sure, they looked good- the tightness of Lance’s pants in particular was just sinful- but it was disconcerting. The only one who had anything even close to their normal attire was Shiro, and his outfit only resembled their everyday wear because it was all black. 

“Keith! There you are!” Lance called, and bounced over. “Let me just set up your holo for you. There you go.” Before Keith could even blink, Lance had installed the new holo and switched it on, transforming Keith’s outfit into black pants, a tight black shirt, red and white boots, and a cropped jacket that matched the boots. He wondered where he was supposed to hide his Dominator with this outfit. Or where any of them would be hiding their Dominators for that matter. Aside from Lance, who had a loose-fitting jacket, most of them wore clothes that were tight-fitting and/or revealing. 

“Er, I don’t suppose it’s too late to veto this whole operation?” Keith asked, feeling a sudden awe for Lance’s guts in walking into a dangerous situation unarmed. Keith could actually fight, but the thought of doing the same right now, even accompanied by his friends, had him sweating bullets. 

“Aw, does the smol enforcer bab not like having to go be a person for once?” Lance teased. How could he act so _normal_? Keith had yelled at him! 

“Well yeah, I’m not wild about going to a place that’s probably going to be crowded and full of drunks, but also where am I supposed to put my Dominator? We’re supposed to be undercover here, and yet there’s nowhere to hide the one thing that’s a dead giveaway as to who we are!” 

“Relax, Keith. The Holts make good holos. Believe it or not, Shiro’s already got his, but the holos have it hidden.” 

Keith raised his eyebrows skeptically, so Shiro reached back and pulled out his Dominator, the holo shimmering for a moment as it accounted for the change. 

“I apologize for any insult the Holts may have perceived at my concerns,” Keith said, knowing that the Holts might feel slighted. But how was he supposed to know holos could do that? 

“Tsk tsk, Keith. That’s two strikes,” Lance chided, shaking his head. “Though really, I don’t see why you were so concerned. It’s not like you ever use your Dominator anyway. You always go for the fight, first.” 

“You’re the one who always says we shouldn’t just shoot without even trying to talk to them!” 

“That only works if you actually _try_ to talk to them though. Instead of, you know, running at them with a crazed look in your eye?” 

“Will you two knock it off? We need to get going,” Hunk called. Keith sighed, but he squared his shoulders and headed off to grab his Dominator and get in the back of Hunk’s car. He tried not to watch as Lance joined Rolo and Nyma and they all got into the other car. He tried not to watch that other car as it pulled out, leaving them behind with Lance’s more realistic driving, while Hunk spent five minutes making sure everyone had buckled their seatbelts before pulling out at a crawl. Tried being a keyword. As always, Lance had a magnetic force on Keith’s gaze. 

At the bar, the four of them entered together, though Keith and Hunk split off to take a table while Shiro and Kogami went to the bar itself. As always, about half the females in the room, as well as a few males, began following Shiro with their gazes and calculating their odds of hooking up with him that night. Keith almost felt sorry for them, since he knew they didn’t have a chance. Almost, but not quite. 

The bar’s atmosphere was old-fashioned. Holos of dark wood, dim lighting, a slight haze to the air. In Keith’s opinion, it was pretty lame, but then Keith was kinda hard to impress, generally speaking. There was a constant hum of chatter, and Keith tuned in, trying to hear as much as he could in hopes of picking up the name “Janka”. Across the table from him, Hunk was fidgeting with a device made by the Holts, one that would be able to record every conversation in the room and pick out each individual one. Keith supposed that meant there was really no need for all of them to be there, but it was better to be safe. Not to mention, even the Holts’ technology could fail- usually with a little help from an electric pulse or some such device- and also it couldn’t follow any suspicious individuals who might choose to leave. 

Up at the bar, the first brave individuals had gone to offer to buy Shiro a drink, and were inches from getting into a fist fight over that right. The inches keeping them from a fist fight all belonged to Shiro, who looked like he was wondering if this information was worth his suffering. Probably not, but any recording Keith made of the incident would certainly make some nice bidding material in the future. Take _that_ , Takashi Shirogane. 

A few feet away from Shiro, Kogami was taking in the scene with amusement. He looked up and met Keith’s eyes, letting Keith know he’d seen him watching. He probably thought he was so great. The amazing Shinya Kogami, enforcer legend with ridiculously solid abs that put even Shiro to shame, and Keith hadn’t believed that was possible. Keith thought he might hate the guy. Something about him just rubbed Keith the wrong way. Hopefully they’d hear something that would lead them to Janka and they could bring the guy in for questioning and finish up this investigation and be rid of Kogami. And it would all happen tonight. As if. 

The night passed slowly, with Keith and Hunk managing to nurse their drinks for hours while Shiro used his sleight of hand to pour all the drinks offered to him into a conveniently located trash can. They stayed until after midnight, without so much as a whisper to help their investigation. 

When they returned to the office to write up their reports for the night, Lance and Nyma were covered in glitter, and somehow the absurdity of it just pissed Keith off even more. 

All in all, Keith hated everything about that night. 

* * *

Lance didn’t particularly care which team he ended up going with. Going with Keith and Shiro would have been good, since one: Keith, and two: Shiro would be there to be the responsible one who kept their drunk asses from getting mugged, and three: they would make a great team, like always. But going with Rolo and Nyma was also appealing because the three of them were like, Team Fun. Well, maybe more Lance and Nyma than Rolo, but still. Point was, they knew how to bring the party. 

In the end, Lance ended up being grouped up with the latter, on account of Hunk would look weird hanging with those two at a bar whereas Lance could fit right in. Lance knew then and there it was gonna be a fun night. 

Or so he thought until the car doors closed. 

“Sorry you couldn’t go out with your boyfriend tonight,” Nyma said, her voice actually sincere. 

“Yeah, but this means I get to hang out with you two instead.” 

“Except I’m sure you’d rather be going out with Keith,” Rolo said, throwing his two cents in with Team Nyma. 

“Besides, Keith is miserable in public places except when you’re there,” Nyma agreed. She… had a point. Shit. Would Keith be okay? 

“I’m… I’m sure he’ll manage.” Damnit Lance’s voice was wavering. 

“Plus you guys have barely spent any time together recently,” Nyma said, hammering the last nail into Lance’s coffin. “What’s with that anyway? You two are so cute together. I mean, I didn’t even know Keith had a good side until you came along. I thought he was just a permanent grump with bad hair.” 

“Look, Nyma, I appreciate the concern and all, but we’re fine. We do have a few things that need to be talked out, but a bar’s hardly the place for that so it doesn’t matter.” 

“How are you fine? I’ve seen Keith air you out like, five times in the past week, and every single time you look so depressed! You both seem miserable lately, and it’s really lame. Like, the whole office seems so much brighter when you’re your usual smiley self, rather than Mr. Lance McFrowny-FaceClain. Let us help you, Lannykins. If you’re having relationship trouble, you know you can always turn to us.” 

“Excuse me? Relationship trouble? This from the girl whose pining is legendary?” 

“Okay if you’re about to accuse me of crushing on Rolo, first off, ew, second, he’s married.” 

“Wait, you’re married?” Lance asked, almost losing control of the car in his surprise. 

“As married as I can still be now that I’m a latent criminal,” Rolo replied. “We were high school sweethearts, and tied the knot shortly after graduating. Unfortunately, about a week later I got flagged in a hue check and haven’t seen her since. At least we can still email.” 

“Wow. I am so sorry,” Lance apologized. “Like, for that situation, but also because I didn’t realize you were married so I’m sorry for any flirting I might have aimed your way and-” 

“It’s fine, Lance. I know how it is with you.” 

“Well I’m still sorry. But also, no, that is not what I meant Nyma, and how dare you try and sidetrack me like that! And if we’re gossiping love, then I would like to know which Holt is listening in on us please.” 

“Matt went to bed already. He has like no stamina after dinner, I swear,” Pidge replied in their comms. 

“Oh, so he’s not present?” 

“Nope.” 

“Good. You hear that, Nyma? Your crush isn’t listening in on this so you can talk freely about it.” 

“Lance!” Nyma gasped. “Ignoring that I have no clue how you would know that, those two tell each other everything!” 

“Not if we ask nicely I bet she won’t. Pidge, will you please promise not to tell your brother that Nyma has a crush on him?” 

“Wait, seriously?” Pidge squawked. “Nyma likes Matt? As in, my older brother who thinks the most hilarious thing in the world is to fart and then blame it on someone else Matt?” 

“This is the worst,” Nyma moaned, putting her head in her hands. 

“Well if it makes it any better, he totally likes you back,” Pidge said. 

“Wait, he does?” Nyma asked, peeking through her fingers. 

“Pretty sure,” Pidge said. “Haven’t you noticed how clumsy he is when we’re all working on the Beezers together? It’s because he’s too busy staring at you to notice what he’s doing. And he gets this really dopey grin whenever he says your name.” 

“And he also gets really sullen towards me every time we’re teamed up together,” Lance added. “Like, ‘so did you have a good time hanging out with _Nyma_ , Lance?’ or ‘do you always have to be such a flirt when you already have a boyfriend? Why don’t you save some for the rest of us?’ and things like that.” 

“Yeah, he’s really not at all subtle about it,” Pidge agreed ruefully. “I honestly thought you knew. I thought everyone knew.” 

“You forget that not everyone comes up to the lab, sweet P,” Lance reminded. 

“And not everyone is Matt’s sister,” Pidge conceded. “But anyway, I really didn’t know you liked him back, Nyma. I kinda assumed that you just weren’t interested in romance.” 

“Even though she flirts all the time?” Rolo asked. 

“I guess I thought she did that to cover up her lack of interest?” Pidge replied. “I dunno, is that a thing?” 

“No idea,” Rolo replied. 

“Well, anyway, I think you have a good chance if you confess,” Pidge continued. “And it might be good. Like, I suppose he’d probably be really annoying, always talking about you until I feel like being sick, but if it makes him happy…” There was a pause, like Pidge was shrugging her shoulders, and then she continued. “But what I guess I should really say is, I’m not about to tell my brother about this, because it’s between the two of you, and there are some boundaries you don’t cross and I respect that. Besides, believe it or not, we do have some secrets from each other. Like, I’m not about to tell him that I’m the one who mixed tabasco sauce into his toothpaste.” 

“That’s… I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that bit about the toothpaste, and just say thanks,” Nyma said. “I mean it. _Thank you_ , Pidge.” 

“No problem. In the end, I do like you guys. I’m just bad at showing that kind of stuff. Like you think Keith’s bad with emotions, trust me, I’m way worse. If being bad at emotions were a competitive sport, I would be in first place, and even if he was second Keith would still be in my dust.” 

“And thank you again, because you just made me realize that while I was unable to sidetrack Lance, he certainly did a good job sidetracking me. We’re still talking about your relationship troubles, Lanny-Lan.” 

Lance groaned. 

“There there, Inspector,” Rolo soothed, leaning up from the back seat to pat Lance on the shoulder. “To make up for it, first round’ll be on me.” 

“Oo, I call second round!” Nyma squealed. 

“Um, you guys do realize that even if we are going to a bar, we do still need to maintain some semblance of sobriety since we’re still working, right?” Lance said. 

“The rounds don’t have to be consecutive,” Nyma replied. 

“All the same, let’s limit it to just the one round. And I can pay for myself guys. Thanks for the offer though.” 

In the end, Lance learned a few very important things that night. First off, the bar was one of a couple dozen “safe houses” where all the nearby scanners had been tampered with so they would ignore any clouded hues they saw rather than reporting them. Secondly, some people would rather move the dartboard holo up a few inches rather than admit they’d lost. And third, he should never ever again allow Rolo to take part in a drinking competition. 

“Once again, I’d just like to say, I thought you knew,” Nyma said. It was her version of an apology. 

Lance didn’t respond, instead keeping his eyes fixed to the road as he drove them all back to headquarters. 

“I mean,” Nyma continued after the silence had grown too long, “it’s like you’ve been here forever, Lannykins! So I just kinda assume you were around for things that were before your time, like the last time when Rolo was drunk and somehow managed to tie Shiro to a ceiling fan.” 

“Wait he did _what_?” Lance asked. He wasn’t sure if this new information was terrifying or if it was golden. Maybe it was both. 

“Tied Shiro to a ceiling fan. It’s just what it sounds like, Lan-Lan.” 

“Yeah, but, Shiro? To a ceiling fan? Just… how?” 

“Like I know. We questioned Shiro about it obviously, and reviewed the footage the Holts had, and yet somehow we still have yet to determine just what happened. Another time he managed to program all the holos in the building to appear upside-down. And yeah, the Holts had it fixed in like, a minute, but it was still really weird walking on the ceilings. Someone must have complained a lot about it, since messing with non-personal holos at HQ is now a fireable offense.” 

“Okay, so I guess I shouldn’t be feeling too bad about the glitter bomb then.” 

“Yeah, you definitely shouldn’t be feeling too bad about the glitter bomb. This is really tame for him.” 

“Doesn’t change the fact that it’s gonna take weeks to get all of it off of us, not to mention it’s never coming out of this car.” 

“Oh, of a certainty. I wouldn’t be surprised if he mixed in some kind of glue.” 

“Great.” 

“If it’s any consolation, he gets killer hangovers.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” And Lance would. Perhaps he’d arrange for something really noisy to happen first thing tomorrow… Or not. That would be super petty. Fun, but petty. So he’d just have to be nice and have some ice and painkillers ready. And maybe see if Hunk had some foul-tasting hangover remedy. 

“So Pidge,” Lance said, changing gears (figuratively speaking). “Did you by any chance catch that bit about the broken scanners?” 

“Broken scanners? What? No,” Pidge replied through the car speakers. 

“No?” Lance and Nyma both asked. In the back seat Rolo snored. 

“No,” Pidge confirmed. “You guys forget, I had two entire bars to listen to. I might have missed a few snippets here and there. That’s why I had you guys bring those recorders for me.” 

“Fair enough,” Lance acknowledged. “Well, some guys I was talking with mentioned that some of the scanners in the area don’t work properly. They mentioned there’s other places with the same thing going on, and I was thinking- we find them, we find Janka. Though I could be wrong. I’m not a genius like you and your bro.” 

“No, that sounds logical. I’ll get started in searching for them.” 

“Great, thanks.” 

They made it back to HQ without further incident, and with a little help from a Beezer that Nyma called, got Rolo back to his room. They then proceeded to the office to wait for the others to return and debrief. Lance refrained from sitting so as to avoid getting glitter on his (or any other) chair. Nyma unabashedly sat in Rolo’s chair, because unlike Lance she didn’t see any problem with being petty. 

Hunk almost tripped over his feet when he came into the office. Shiro did a double take and began to tear up from stress. Keith was so agog that he had to be manhandled out of the doorway. Kogami merely raised an eyebrow. And through all their reactions, Lance tried not to cringe too much. He probably looked ridiculous, and it was all his own fault for not being attentive enough to the enforcers under his command. It was lucky they weren’t the type to take advantage of that. 

“Wha-?” Hunk gaped, trying to process the sheer brightness of Lance and Nyma. “I mean, uh… You guys, uh, you got a little…” 

“I forgot he didn’t know about Rolo’s drunken behavior,” Nyma said, making a face. 

“I was a little inattentive,” Lance said at the same time, also making a face. 

“What’d he do?” Shiro asked wearily. 

“A glitter bomb. Speaking of which, I’m not sure the three of us will be welcome back at that bar,” Lance said, rubbing his face with one hand. He could feel the glitter grating against his skin. Ugh. 

“We can always switch,” Hunk said, unconcerned. “Anything else.” 

“As a matter of fact, yeah,” Pidge said from the doorway to the office. 

Everyone except Kogami gasped as one. 

“Is this… is this real?” Lance asked. “Surely I must be dreaming, I could swear I see Pidge there.” 

“Oh ha-dee-ha-ha,” Pidge droned. “In that case, I’m going to keep my amazing discovery all to myself just to make sure you don’t get any credit.” 

“You would not. What’d you find, Pidge?” 

“You’re right, I wouldn’t. This is pretty important.” 

“What is it?” Hunk asked. 

“Someone mentioned to Lance that there’s faulty scanners around the bar he and Nyma were at,” Pidge explained in a rush. She took a deep breath and then continued at a slower pace. “Once I knew to look for them, it wasn’t that hard to find them. I also went ahead and checked around your guys’s bar, and same deal. I should be able to find more such locations, but it will take a while. It’s not something I can do a mass scan for. I have to hack each individual scanner. And that can take a while if I don’t want it to be known that I’m hacking the scanner, plus I have to dig a little to find what’s wrong. It’ll be faster once Matt starts helping out, but even then, it’ll be a slow process, because there’s like a shit-ton of scanners in the city. And while we can focus on certain target areas, like say, bars, we don’t want to miss anything if we want to find our way to Janka or one of his colleagues.” 

“Especially since, for all we know, Janka could be the only one recruiting in bars,” Kogami agreed. “Though a bar does seem a good place to recruit. Many people drink alcohol when they’re upset about things or dissatisfied with their circumstances. Though there are plenty of other places they might go. Pharmacies, therapists’ offices, and general therapy centers are also good places to prioritize.” 

“Just to be safe, shouldn’t we check if there’s any near us?” Keith asked, speaking up for the first time. He seemed even quieter than usual tonight; Lance wasn’t sure whether it was because of their fight or because of the uninvited extra presence, but either way it worried him. “Whoever’s doing this might be willing to bet that we’d never think to check right under our own noses. Plus, we’re their biggest threat, so anyplace they set up near us could also serve as a base of operations for an onslaught against us.” 

“Oh shit you’re right,” Pidge said, her eyes growing wide. “I think I should probably make that my top priority instead. With the inspectors’ permission of course.” This last was added when Kogami raised his eyebrows at her seeming independence. 

“Yeah, of course,” Hunk agreed readily. “In fact, Shiro, could you go wake Matt up so he can help her out?” 

“He won’t like that,” Shiro replied. 

“He doesn’t have to,” Hunk said. “With both of them working, they can search faster. Alternatively, one of them can start working on countermeasures. Honestly, if Pidge hadn’t just explained how difficult this is, I’d have us all going down there to help.” 

“Except paperwork,” Lance reminded. Though he’d rather be helping Pidge than writing another report detailing his shortcomings. Even if his help had a tendency to almost reduce Pidge to tears since his technical aptitude was, according to Pidge, “so obsolete [he] belong[ed] back in 2018.” It was an exaggeration, if only a slight one. 

“Right, paperwork,” Hunk sighed. “Pidge, go get started, Shiro, do whatever it takes to get Matt out of bed. Tickle him, pour a bucket of water on him, make loud noises, whatever. Just get him awake and to the lab so that Pidge doesn’t have to do this alone.” 

“On it, sir,” Shiro said. 

The rest of them all sat down to their reports. Since Kogami couldn’t submit any reports while working unofficially as he was, he headed off, a Beezer trailing after him to keep an eye on him as he went to sleep or eat or do whatever he did with his time. Lance did what he could, but his report couldn’t be finalized until Rolo was back on his feet, so he saved the file as a draft and then decided to head off to the gym and try and wash the glitter off. He also wanted to go for a run, even if it meant showering twice (because no way was he going to try running while covered in this freaking itchy glitter. It’d probably make him sweat twice as much). 

After getting the worst of the glitter off, Lance dressed in his workout clothes and moved to exit the locker room. As he approached the door to the gym, he heard the telltale signs of someone raging against the stupid battle bot, and quickened his pace. Keith. Maybe they could try and talk things out in a calmer fashion. Though did he really want to try and talk to someone who was already having a punchfest with a training robot? Whatever, Keith wouldn’t ever hurt him. He wasn’t like that. 

Lance burst through the doors, his boyfriend’s name on his lips, but there was something odd about the figure who was punishing the battle bot with brutal savagery. The person there was too large, and his hair was too short, and it wasn’t actually Keith but Kogami. Oops. That could have been embarrassing. 

Kogami delivered one last punch with alarming accuracy, and then laid off his assault, turning his back to the downed robot and facing Lance. 

“Something you needed, inspector?” he asked. 

“N-no. I was… just… gonna run.” 

“Did I frighten you?” Kogami actually looked concerned as he said it. 

Lance shook his head vehemently. 

“I mean, I watch Keith fight that thing all the time,” he blurted out, before he realized how telling that was. Might as well shout it from the rooftops that he liked guys too and didn’t mind checking out enforcers. “For lessons,” he added quickly, which really that just dug his hole even deeper, didn’t it. “Since I suck at fighting.” 

“Keith? You mean Enforcer Kogane?” Kogami asked. 

“Er, yeah. We tend to be kinda informal around here. First names and all. Plus it’d be kinda confusing, having Enforcer Kogami and Enforcer Kogane both running around, right?” 

“True. So I guess everyone’s on first name basis then?” 

“Pretty much. Except Shiro and Pidge and Hunk- Inspector Garrett I mean.” 

“And Shiro is Enforcer Shirogane?” 

“Yeah. Those guys are nicknames only. Shiro’s just too… too dad to call him by his first name, and Hunk’s just so lovable of course he has to be called by a nickname. Though other nicknames do exist. Mostly perpetuated by Nyma and Rolo. Usually Nyma.” 

“I see. Though I kinda assumed Pidge was Ms. Holt’s name.” 

“Wait really? Who names their kid Pidge?” Kogami shrugged, like he’d heard weirder names in his time. Maybe he had. “Well, it’s not. But she only lets people she really trusts know her actual name, and I’m not gonna spill the beans. She wants to be called Pidge, then that’s what I’m gonna call her.” 

“Fair enough.” 

“Speaking of which, since the informality cat is out of the bag, so to speak, should I call you Shinya?” 

“Sure.” Kogami nodded, and Lance nodded along with him. 

“Cool cool,” Lance said. They continued nodding. Wow. This was awkward. 

“Um, inspector?” 

“We literally just discussed how first names are fine.” 

“Alright then. Weren’t you going to go for a run, _Lance_?” 

“Oh. Oh right. Yeah. I- uh-” 

Lance began stumbling across the floor, but he strayed a little too close to the downed robot and it reached out to snag his ankle, dragging him down before rolling on top of him and raising a fist. Lance tried to buck it off, but only succeeded in deflecting the first hit so it hit the mat beside him rather than his face. And something flipped in his stomach, because this was not set to the lowest difficulty like he could sorta handle, and it was not gonna pull any punches. Shit. 

Before Lance could really panic, a kick knocked the battle bot aside, and Shinya’s hand extended into his vision. 

“You okay there, Lance?” he asked. 

“Y-yeah,” Lance stammered. “Thanks. Th-that really surprised me.” 

“You look a little shaken. You should learn to relax in a fight.” 

“But don’t you need to keep your body tense?” 

“Tense in body but not in mind. Plus even your body can’t be too tense. Otherwise you’ll end up being rigid and you’ll be easy to knock over.” 

“I think that death bot just proved that I’m already easy to knock over.” 

“Here, let’s work on that. I’ll help you get so that no one knocks you over, just wait.” 

Lance sighed, but accepted the lesson because who knew when he’d get one from Keith again, and even if he did, his lessons from Keith were only ever actual lessons if someone else was in the gym. Lance may have loved Keith, but he’d always felt that love was a private thing. It could be shown in public, but through small gestures, like holding hands, or maybe a quick kiss here or there, or maybe things like the way his dad would be walking with his mom and suddenly tell her “wait right here” and go running off and come back with a huge grin and a cone of ice cream to share. And he knew Keith felt that way even more than he, and he was going to respect that, danggit, because what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn’t? 

What Lance didn’t see as he accepted the lesson was that when he’d entered, he’d left the door slightly ajar, and that on the other side, Keith was standing. He didn’t see the hurt anger on Keith’s face, or the way he swallowed thickly and stalked away, presumably to go see Shiro.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *maniacal laughter*

The next evening Lance came in for work early in order to have dinner with Nyma and Pidge so the three of them could talk strategy about Nyatt(as Lance had called them) getting together. 

“Are you sure it’s safe to discuss this here?” Nyma asked. “I mean, this is the cafeteria. You guys totally spy on this place all the time, don’t you? And like, won’t Matt hear us?” 

“Nope,” Pidge replied. “See, I’ve got this lovely little gadget that creates static interference so he can’t overhear. It’s my own creation, and yes, I have tested it so I know it works. Also, Why Nyatt? That sounds dumb. They should totally be Mama.” 

“Nope, gotta be Nyatt because cats,” Lance said. When he got confused looks, he elaborated. “‘Cuz cats go nyan? Or nya? Seriously, haven’t you ever watched Pokemon? Just listen to like, any of Meowth’s lines. He says it all the time. As do many other anime with cat-like characters.” 

“You would have a reason like that,” Pidge muttered. 

“Yes I would, you can’t shame me. So?” Lance plopped into a chair and propped his elbows on the table, leaning forward to gaze at Nyma. “Let’s get started, shall we?” 

“Ugh, I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” Nyma whined. 

“It’s for your own good, toots.” 

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Nyma joined Lance with a sigh. Pidge took a seat as well, immediately digging in. 

“Hungry as always, aren’t you,” Lance commented. 

“Can’t hack scanners on an empty stomach,” Pidge said. “But we’re off topic.” 

“We really are,” Lance agreed. 

“So, what advice do you guys have for me?” Nyma said nervously. 

“Well, first off, have you ever dated anyone before?” Lance asked. 

“What?! Of course I have!” Nyma protested, then mumbled, “not.” 

“So that would be a no?” Lance asked. 

“I never really got a chance, okay?” 

“It’s okay if you haven’t, Nyma-bird. No one’s going to judge you for it. And if they do, I personally will tase them with my Dominator. I’ll get my family to fight them for you too. The McClain clan will have your back.” 

“Uh, no need for that. But thanks.” 

“So that’ll be something to keep in mind for our approach. We can expect you to be blushy and awkward and use it as part of your charm.” 

“How is blushy and awkward charming?” 

“Because it’s generally more honest than suave confidence? Like, someone comes up to you and feeds you some pick-up line easy as pie, you slap them in the face because they are clearly a creep who doesn’t mean a word they say, right? But someone comes up to you and can barely talk and gives you the same line? You believe they’re trying.” 

“I feel like I should be taking notes on this so someday I can publish ‘Pidge’s Guide to Romancing’,” Pidge mumbled around a mouthful of food. 

“Hey, how is it your guide when you’re just plagiarizing my advice?” Lance asked. “And don’t talk with you mouth full.” 

“I’d cite you in a footnote or something,” Pidge conceded. 

“Wow okay.” 

“So anyway, I think the best way to ask him out would be while working on a Beezer,” Pidge said. “Like, say there’s something wrong with one and have him come help you look at it, and then when he does, there’s a note in the Beezer saying you like him and will he go out with you.” 

“Wow, Pidge. I didn’t know you were such a romantic,” Lance said. 

“Yeah,” Nyma agreed. “That’s really sweet. Though like, is a note really enough? Shouldn’t I say it out loud or something?” 

“You can always adjust my plan some,” Pidge said. “It’s just a suggestion. And Lance, just because I’m not interested in romance for myself doesn’t mean I don’t want the best for the rest of you all. I love you guys and want you to be happy.” 

“I am skeptical,” Lance said. 

“Okay, so maybe everyone dating also makes excellent fodder for making fun of you guys,” Pidge said with a sly grin. 

“There it is,” Lance laughed. 

“I’m kidding. To make fun of you guys, I’d have to actually pay attention when people are being gooey, and just… no? Like, I’d rather not? And is something wrong, Nyma? You’ve got a weird expression on your face. Does the thought of me making fun of you and Matt worry you that much, because I really won’t.” 

“Huh?” Nyma started. She shook herself, coming back to the conversation from wherever her mind had been. “Oh. No. I just- I thought I saw Keith a moment ago, and for some reason, it seemed like he was a bit sulkier than usual?” 

“Oh shit, really?” Lance said. “I guess he’s still mad at me about our fight the other night. He probably saw me in here and was disgusted he had to see my face.” 

“I don’t think Keith could ever be disgusted by your face,” Nyma said. “But speaking of which, you never did tell me what was going on with you two.” 

“I thought we came here to plan setting you up with Matt?” Lance said. 

“We did. Or rather, Pidge did. And we can always talk more in the future. Matt and I aren’t a thing yet, but you and Keith are, and you’re having problems, so we need to talk about them. What. Happened.” 

“I don’t even know anymore,” Lance sighed. “Like, he got all weird and started avoiding me and I don’t know why, and then all of a sudden he wanted to talk and I kinda thought he was gonna break up with me but then we had that hostage situation and then he ended up shouting at me about it but like he didn’t break up with me so maybe that’s a good sign? But we haven’t really talked since then so…” Lance shrugged. “It’s probably over and he just is so fed up with me he can’t be bothered to say anything more to me, even if it’s ‘we’re done.’” 

“Wow, that just might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Pidge said. 

“Pidge, you’re a genius, everything sounds dumb to you,” Lance retorted. 

“No, I’m with Pidge on this one,” Nyma said. “Though personally, I think you’re both being dumb and there’s only so much you can do while Keith acts all socially inept. But he could barely take his eyes off you last night when you were all sparkly. I half expected him to go to bed covered in glitter because I thought for sure he was gonna be all over you first chance he got.” 

“Yeah, same,” Pidge agreed. 

“Um, no?” Lance protested. “Or maybe yes? I don’t know anymore. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t hate me too much to date me anymore. You can still lust after someone you can’t stand.” 

“Oh, Lance,” Nyma sighed, shaking her head. Pidge was shaking her head along with her. 

“I’m sure you two will work things out,” Pidge said. “I mean, it took all of two weeks before you guys started dating. Not even two weeks, actually. You guys have something. I think. Plus, with Keith, he doesn’t make friends easily, but those he has, he keeps. He’s super loyal, Lance. He would never just switch off on you, so clearly there’s something going on with him that you guys need to discuss, and once you do you can work on a solution.” 

“Yeah, except he doesn’t want to talk to me,” Lance said. 

“Only because he’s mad at you. Bring him a peace offering of some sort and he’ll listen,” Nyma said. “It’s how people work.” 

“And here Lance always claims he’s the people person,” Pidge teased. 

“I am the people person!” Lance protested. 

Nyma and Pidge just looked at each other and started laughing. 

“I am! I’m at least more of a people person than anyone else here!” 

“Except we’re latent criminals, so it doesn’t count,” Nyma said. 

“If you’re going to start saying enforcers don’t count as people again…” Lance began warningly. 

“Chill, Lance,” Pidge said. “No one’s saying anything like that. What she means is probably that since we don’t get to interact with people, it’s hard to be people… uh, people? It’s hard to be good with people, how about that?” 

“Also a lot of enforcers seem to become latent criminals because of a general dislike for people. Like, have you talked to the ninth division? And those tenth division enforcers… they’re downright scary.” 

“I’ve only met the ninth division inspectors, not the enforcers, so I dunno,” Lance said. “Especially since Inspector Kolivan is like… Stoneface McGee or something, which is so ‘I-don’t-like-people’. Like, does he even smile? I thought Iverson was bad, but at least he has some warmth to him. But you could replace Kolivan with a chunk of marble carved in his likeness and no one would notice, I swear. And as for the tenth, I have yet to even see any of them.” 

“Unfortunately, Pidge and I have to see them during the yearly physicals,” Nyma said. “They get all the enforcers of the same sex together and make sure we’re still fit for the job. And it just so happens the tenth division is the only division whose enforcers are all the same sex, which is female. Though if I hadn’t seen them all in their underwear, I might doubt it of some.” 

“I feel like I should be making a joke about wanting to sign up to assist with these physicals, but also that’d be taking things a little too far,” Lance said. 

“It really would,” Nyma agreed. 

“Anyway, we’re way off our original topic by now, plus we’re gonna need to clock in soon, so I vote we hurry up and eat already,” Lance said. 

“Sounds good,’ Pidge agreed. She got to her feet. “Which means I’m gonna grab something for Matt and then head back to the lab so we can eat while we work. There’s too much to do for me to leave him to solo very much.” 

“Just make sure the two of you are resting, Pidge,” Lance cautioned. Pidge waved an acknowledgment and headed off to the meal machines to get Matt’s dinner. 

“So,” Nyma said. “Talk to him, and I will work on asking M- shit, Pidge isn’t with us anymore. You know what I mean.” 

“And if I don’t talk to him?” 

“Then I will get Rolo and Shiro and Pidge and Matt to help me pummel you.” 

“Wow okay, I feel threatened.” 

“Do it Lance. For your own good. None of us wants to see you sad. Him least of all.” 

* * *

The shift started with some bad news. Matt came in, looking dog tired and a little nervous. 

“Hey Matt, what’s up?” Lance greeted, having spotted him first. 

“Umm…” Matt said, shifting uncomfortably. “Hey Hunk, what was that old phrase people would say when they had bad news and didn’t want people getting mad at them for it?” 

“You mean ‘don’t shoot the messenger’?” Hunk offered after a moment’s thought. 

“Yeah. That. Right now.” 

“What’s the bad news?” Hunk asked. “Wait, you and Pidge aren’t overtired are you? I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have pressed you guys so hard, I-” Matt held up a hand to calm Hunk down. 

“It’s not that Hunk. Well, we are overtired, but we’re used to it. We can deal. But no… it’s… our lead is dead. Quite literally, in fact.” 

“Wait what?” Kogami asked, coming to join them. 

“So it’s, it’s like this, okay?” Matt said. “Pidge and me, we’ve been working on those scanners, and we did find a couple near this building, right? Well, we haven’t been able to come up with a way to undo it without the original hackers knowing, and so we haven’t done anything about the tampered ones yet since we thought you might want to keep the fact that we know about the faulty scanners a secret. Well, anyway, I was just about to take our dinner dishes back to the cafeteria when I noticed that the security cameras showed Inspector Thace from the ninth division in his office, but also outside taking a smoke break. So I looked closer, and noticed that the outside camera had the wrong date. And guess what’s right by that camera.” 

“One of the faulty scanners?” Lance guessed. 

“Bingo.” 

“But how does that equate to our lead being dead?” Hunk asked. 

“Well, we fixed the camera,” Matt said. 

“And…?” Kogami asked impatiently. 

“And there was someone lying there. We sent a Beezer out there to see what was up, it came back with a reading that there really was someone lying there, and they were dead, and identified the remains as one Janson Janka. Just to be sure, we sent another Beezer out to check, and it came back with the same results. Sorry guys, but our lead isn’t going anywhere.” 

“Did the drones note how long he’s been dead?” Kogami asked. 

“No, they didn’t tell us that," Matt replied, his brow furrowing as he tried to understand the reasoning behind the question. "Why?” 

“Because I wanna know if he was killed before or after we started looking for him,” Kogami said. 

“What does it matter?” Lance asked. “He’s dead either way, so we can no longer question him.” 

“It matters,” Kogami countered, “because him being killed before means they killed him because Sal and Varkon got captured peacefully. Him being killed after means they only severed ties with him once they knew for certain we were onto him. It lets us know something about the real culprits. How strict they are with those they have working for them. How cautious they are. How difficult it’s going to be to track them down. It may not seem like much, but this kind of stuff can be what ends up catching them, inspector.” 

There was a moment of silence as that sank in, before anyone spoke up. 

“Well, I guess there’s no point in going back to the bars then,” Hunk said a little too cheerfully. “Matt, thanks for telling us, you’re free to go back to the lab or go to sleep now. Also, since you guys probably haven’t been able to listen to last night’s recordings, someone else can take care of that.” 

“Thanks, Hunk,” Matt said. 

“I’ll go,” Nyma volunteered. Lance waggled his eyebrows at her, meriting an eye roll. 

“I guess that means I’m going too,” Rolo said. “Plus I gotta make up for getting too drunk last night.” 

“I’ll go as well,” Shiro offered. 

“I’d say I’ll help out, but the lab’s going to be really crowded with so many people, and also I want to take a look at that body.” Kogami said. “If you guys could have the drones bring it in that would be a huge help.” 

“Will do,” Matt said, and he and the four enforcers all left together. 

“And I guess that leaves the rest of us free,” Hunk mused to Lance and Keith. “But before you two go off and get up to anything, I need to borrow Lance for a bit.” 

Keith scowled, but followed after the others. 

“Look, I know I keep screwing up, but please, I’ll get it together, promise,” Lance insisted as soon as the enforcers had cleared the room. 

“Woah. Easy there, Lance. I’m not going to scold you,” Hunk said. “The thing with Rolo could have happened to anybody, and besides, you once again got results, so it’s good. No, it’s not that. I’m just worried about you.” 

“So it _is_ because I keep screwing up.” 

“No! Well, yes, a little. But also you just seem kinda stressed out lately. Yeah, Shay said you’re fine, but I’m still worried because you’re my friend, and I noticed you and Keith have been a little awkward recently, and I thought maybe something was wrong.” 

“If you’re going to try and give me advice, please don’t. I already went through this with Pidge and Nyma like, half an hour ago.” 

“Actually, I was gonna suggest we bake cookies.” 

“What?” 

“It’s how I destress. Baking is relaxing. And if you wanna talk while we bake, then I’ll be there for you, and if not, no biggie. We’ll just make cookies and then you can eat them and feel happier.” 

“I-” Lance was about to reject the offer with and “I really am fine Hunk, you don’t need to worry”, when an idea occurred to him. Cookies. He could bring Keith cookies. Nyma had said to bring a peace offering, and this could be it. Not only that, but by baking with Hunk, he could ease Hunk’s concerns better than if he simply said he was fine. It was a win-win. “I think that’s a good idea. Just let me make a quick call.” 

“Go ahead,” Hunk said. 

Lance dialed Shiro without a moment’s pause. 

“Lance, what’s up?” Shiro asked when he answered. 

“I have a very very important question for you. Like, life or death important, I swear.” 

“Life or death?!" Surprisingly, Shiro sounded less panicked and more resigned. "Oh no. What is it?” 

“What’s Keith’s favorite kind of cookie?” 

Shiro didn’t answer right away, and Lance could just picture him reeling in surprise. 

“That’s, um, I don’t see why this is so important, but it happens to be red velvet.” 

“Great thanks you’re the best Shiro gotta go bye,” Lance spat out in a rush. 

“Before you ask, yes I have a recipe for red velvet cookies,” Hunk said. 

“Hunk, have I ever told you how much I love you?” 

“No, but somehow I suspect you’re about to tell me and exaggerate quite a bit.” 

An hour and a half later, they had a complete batch of red velvet cookies. Lance immediately snagged a dozen and put them in a bag to take to Keith. He was gonna go find his boyfriend, and they were going to make everything right between them. Everything was gonna be okay. 

Lance was hardly surprised when he found Keith in the gym, trying to tear apart the battle bot. He smiled, because Keith was really at his best when he was fighting. 

“Hey,” Lance greeted. 

“Hey yourself,” Keith spat angrily. Not a good start. 

“I brought you cookies,” Lance tried. 

“I don’t want them.” 

“You suuuuuurrrrrrre? Hunk helped me make them. I bet they’re really goo-ood,” Lance sing-songed. 

“Then why don’t you go and eat them with Hunk!” Keith snarled, turning away from the battle bot to round on Lance. “Or maybe Nyma, or that bastard Kogami since you like them all so much!” 

“Keith, please, you’re-” 

“I’m _what_ , Lance? I’m overreacting? I’m being paranoid? I’m acting like a latent criminal? Well I _am_ a latent criminal! Get used to it, asshole!” 

“You’re scaring me,” Lance whispered. Why was Keith acting like this? Why had things gone wrong? Everything had been so good between them, and now he couldn’t even make up with Keith? It wasn’t fair. 

“Then leave. Get the hell out of here, since you’re an inspector and that’s something you can do. Meanwhile I’ll be stuck here like a good little enforcer, but that won’t be any of your concern, now, will it?” 

“Keith, I-” 

“Don’t. I don’t want to hear any of your excuses. Go away Lance. I can’t stand you anymore. You always ignore the things that inconvenience you just to keep your hue clear, and it’s just so goddamn annoying. I don’t want to be with someone like you.” 

Keith turned away and went back to the battle bot, leaving Lance frozen in place. No. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t, it couldn’t, it-! 

Lance shook himself. 

“I’ll… I’ll leave the cookies here. In case you decide you want them,” he said. He placed the bag on the ground by the door and then edged slowly from the room. Once he was in the hall, he fled, running the entire way back to the kitchen where Hunk was still dividing the cookies up into portions for everyone. Hunk took one look at Lance and dropped everything to wrap Lance in a hug. 

“Shh,” Hunk soothed. “It’s okay, Lance. I’m here. Everything’s gonna be just fine.” 

“No it’s not!” Lance sobbed. “I think- I think Keith just broke up with me!” 

“What?” Hunk stiffened. “That- but why?” 

“I don’t even know!” Lance bawled. “I didn’t even get to say anything, he just started yelling at me and he said- he said I’m annoying!” 

“He didn’t,” Hunk gasped. 

“But he did! He didn’t even want the cookies and I made them just for him!” 

“Oh no. Oh no no no. Oh Lance, I’m so sorry.” 

“Why do I have to taint everything I touch?” Lance asked. “Why do I always destroy the things I care about most by trying to do the right thing?” 

“You don’t taint things, Lance! Look at the hostage situation the other day! Not one person left that building with a crime coefficient above 300, and that was all thanks to you! You have a better sense of what the right thing is than anyone I know! Please don’t feel bad about yourself, Lance, please!” 

Hunk was crying too, now. God, Lance was so terrible, he even made his friend cry over him. He really was the worst, just like Keith had said. 

The two of them stayed there until Lance’s tears had stopped and he was reduced to just a few whimpers and hiccoughs as he tried to regain his normal breathing. Hunk rubbed his back and tried to soothe him as best the man could. Finally, Lance was calm enough to let go. 

“Lance, I think it’s best if you go home,” Hunk said gently. “Take some time off. Go on vacation. Visit a hot spring or something. Just take some time to take care of yourself. We’ll handle things here. And when you come back, we’ll go catch whoever set up that hostage situation and killed Janka. Okay?” 

Lance nodded. Time off really sounded like a good idea. He wouldn’t have to see Keith. Wouldn’t be around to annoy him. And he could go home and visit his family, and maybe he’d manage to get over this before he came back to work. 

He’d tried. Tried, and failed. There was nothing more he could do. In the end, he probably just wasn’t cut out for love. 

* * *

Keith was livid. The first time it had happened, he’d thought maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe he was being a little sensitive since Lance was accepting a fighting lesson from someone else when that had been their thing. But given that they hadn’t had a lesson in a while and most of the lessons they did have weren’t exactly instructional, he could maybe understand why Lance did it. 

But then Lance was having dinner with that flirt Nyma. Oh, but Pidge was there, surely Lance wouldn’t go on a date with someone else right in front of Pidge of all people! Except what if that was just to throw him off suspicion? Pidge could have been bribed. Lance was capable of that kind of thing. 

And then the thing earlier had gone and proved it. He’d been looking for Lance, ready to talk things out and have Lance laugh at him for thinking that Lance might ever look at someone else while dating him, and then he’d passed by the kitchen. 

It hadn’t originally been a kitchen. But just as Rolo and Nyma had remodeled the drones, Hunk had repurposed this room for his own use. So Keith had walked past, but then he’d smelled something baking and he just knew that Hunk was whipping up something divine and so he’d peeked in to see- 

-see Hunk wipe a blob of cookie dough off of Lance’s laughing face. It was definitely an intimate action. Keith hadn’t wanted to believe it of Lance, but it seemed that one fight was all it took to have Lance looking elsewhere for love. That asshole. Keith had gone off to the gym to try and calm down, but no, Lance had to find him there and flaunt the results of his cheating ways in Keith’s face. Well, if Lance wasn’t going to break up with Keith and move on then Keith would just break up with him. 

Afterwards, Keith felt vindicated. No more cheating asshat boyfriend. It was done. He finished off his workout feeling much calmer, and took a long shower, enjoying the feel of the water on his skin. He didn’t need Lance. He’d been just fine before Lance showed up, and he could be fine now even if they weren’t together. He was better off this way. 

Or so he thought until he came out of the shower and found Hunk waiting for him, every bit as furious as Keith had been before he’d found catharsis. And seeing Hunk, the reason behind all this, he felt the anger rising again. 

“You’re a complete nincompoop, you know that?” Hunk seethed. “Where are the cookies Lance brought you? I know he left them for you.” 

“I threw them out. I didn’t want them,” Keith growled. 

“I can’t believe you. After all the effort he put into those cookies, you just threw them out?” 

“I said I didn’t want them! I don’t want cookies as some sort of consolation prize for the fact that I’m no longer the most important person to him, okay?!” 

“No longer- Keith you colossal doofus, he made those cookies JUST FOR YOU! He even called Shiro to ask what your favorite flavor was! I’d ask you how you dare throw them out when he was trying so hard for your unworthy ass, but I think it’s a good thing you did since you don’t deserve them!” 

Wait what. 

Could- could he have been wrong? 

But no, what about what he’d seen in the kitchen. 

“If he was so focused on making me happy, then how come he was flirting with you?! I saw you Hunk! You two were being very cozy back there when you were making the cookies. You _licked batter off his face_!” 

“Are you freaking kidding me? That was not flirting! That was me not letting cookie batter go to waste! I’d do the same with anyone! And before you make any other accusations at me, I was trying to cheer him up, as a friend, because he’s been mopey ever since you started avoiding him and don’t think the rest of us haven’t noticed!” 

Hunk was lying. He had to be lying. Except inspectors didn’t lie, which meant this was the truth, which meant Keith had made a terrible mistake. 

“But- I- I didn’t- I-” Keith stammered, trying to find words to remedy this situation. 

“You went too far, Keith. I just spent almost an hour trying to calm Lance down. He was crying so much, and it was all your fault.” 

“Hunk, I-” 

“Save it, Keith. You can’t apologize for this one. I already sent Lance home, and he’s going on vacation. As for you, I’m going to talk to the other divisions about transferring you to them temporarily.” 

_No_. 

No. This couldn’t be happening. There still had to be a way to fix things, there had to be something he could do, there had to be- 

“You know, I really thought you two would be good for each other,” Hunk said. “I thought that you had something special, something that would allow you to get through anything together. But I guess I was wrong. I don’t want to do this, Keith, but I think I have to. I’d say I’m sorry, but I believe that this is what’s right. Go start packing. I’ll let you know which floor your new room will be on as soon as it’s set.” 

That was it then. 

Hunk left, and Keith stood there with his hair dripping, wishing for everything that he could just go back in time and accept those goddamn cookies. Or that he could not avoid Lance in the first place. That he could tell Lance he was worried that he would end up ruining Lance’s career, and maybe even his whole life. If only he could stop himself from messing it all up. 

But he couldn’t. 

It was too late for that. 

* * *

Lance had been home for two days when he got a call from Shiro. 

“Keith has been transferred to the ninth division,” Shiro told him. “I just thought you should know.” 

Lance cried for three hours that night. And then he promised himself he wouldn’t cry ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it may have gone unnoticed, I'm just gonna point out that I added an "Angst with a Happy Ending" tag. I am a sap who likes happy endings after all (plus satisfactory tragic endings are so hard to write). But I'm also evil and like to make everyone work for those happy endings. :)  
> Feel free to scream at me in the comments.


	11. Chapter 11

**1 month later**

“Alright guys, we’ve got another one,” Inspector Thace said. 

Keith groaned. So did Krolia and Ulaz, who were also working under Thace for the shift. They’d gone to deal with four different incidents so far, and they were barely even two hours into their shift. 

But that’s how it was these days. Practically since Keith’s transfer to the ninth had been finalized, things had been busy. It had started with a slow increase in major crimes, with far too many of the perpetrators getting away, and from there it had only built. Soon they’d found themselves being run ragged by lots of little crimes to look into, as well as something major occurring at least once every couple of days. Everyone was tired. Keith was tired, the other enforcers in the ninth division were tired, the inspectors were tired, everyone back at the seventh division was probably tired… Lance was probably tired too. Especially since he had that need to save everyone in the world. God Keith was worried about him. Even if he had no right to care after what he’d done… 

People had cautioned Keith about this kind of stuff. They’d told him so very many times not to get into a negative spiral, but it was hard not to. Particularly when it came to Lance. They’d had something great until Keith had messed up. 

“Please tell me it’s something easy,” Ulaz begged. “A hacker, perhaps, or maybe a petty theft. And definitely not armed.” 

“Sorry,” Thace apologized, “but it’s a fist fight. They’ve already broken up and are on the run but of course their psycho-passes are too clouded to leave them be.” 

“The question is, are they related to all the other crimes, or were they just drunk,” Krolia mused. 

“Guess we’ll find out,” Keith sighed. 

When they got to the scene, they split up to pursue the two suspects: Keith and Thace went one way while Krolia and Ulaz went the other, with Krolia calling after Keith and Thace to take care. Thace set the pace as he and Keith headed off, and Keith grit his teeth as he once again had to remind himself to slow down and go at his partner’s pace. He couldn’t just run ahead like he used to do with his old division, and it constantly chafed at him. Not that the ninth division was so bad. Keith just felt weird working with them. They were a team, and while they did try and include him, they didn’t know how to fit him into their rhythms, and he didn’t know how to either. But they were… nice, he guessed. Like Thace. He was an okay guy. He didn’t tell many jokes of his own but would laugh at those made by others, he wasn’t big on scolding people, and he had made sure to tell Keith that if he ever wanted advice, he would listen. Not that Keith was planning to go to Thace for advice. 

Then there was Kolivan, the senior inspector in the ninth division, who always appeared stern but was constantly patting people on the back in congratulations or on the shoulder in encouragement, and who would sometimes come forward with stories from his apparently colorful youth, which were somehow more amusing since he told them in complete deadpan. If Keith could still remember how to laugh, he’d probably howl along with the rest of the team. 

The enforcers all had their likable sides too. There was Antok, a giant of a man who had been pegged as a latent criminal during childhood and who was so stealthy he could sneak up on a wolf. He didn’t talk much, which Keith appreciated. There was Regris, a guy about Keith’s age who had been arrested for selling his classmates homemade stress-care drugs and stimulants. He was smart, but even worse at hand-to-hand than Lance had ever been. There was Ulaz, a former doctor who had a way of predicting the actions of their perpetrators that made him useful. And lastly, there was Krolia, who Keith really couldn’t figure out. She seemed… nice? But she would hover awkwardly over him at times like she wanted to say something, but then if he tried to talk to her, she would get flustered and make up an excuse to leave. And once when Regris had jokingly called her mom, she had gotten really nervous and stared at Keith. She was weird, but whatever, she was competent and that was enough for Keith. 

But as nice as everyone was, they weren’t his team. His team was Shiro, who had been there for him since he was a teen and who grumbled about his dramatics while still trying to have his back. His team was Hunk, with his kind heart that couldn’t even begin to think about distrusting the enforcers. His team was Rolo and Nyma, one with the laid back attitude and the other with her endless quips, the two of them like siblings that he always complained about but would fight anyone who messed with them because they all cared about each other deep down. His team was Lance, who had inserted himself so seamlessly amongst them and put his all into not only the job, but also into interpersonal relationships with everyone he worked with. 

His team also wasn’t on speaking terms with him. 

Or so he assumed, since the one time he’d tried calling Shiro, the man hadn’t answered or called back, and since Pidge and Matt were both very frosty with him if they had to ask him for anything. He wondered if they were mad at him for transferring away or if word had reached them all of his fight with Lance, or maybe a little of both. Either way, it just made him feel lonely. 

So yeah, Keith was at the most miserable he’d been since Shiro’s demotion, maybe even his most miserable ever. And no, Shay, he did not want to talk about it, so kindly stop sending those gentle commands to come see you for a session. It wasn’t happening. Even if the entirety of the ninth division was also trying to push it too. Being miserable was no more than he deserved, and also it was all too private, even if everyone back in the seventh division knew all about it. But they also knew way more about his personal life than he would ever share on his own thanks to the combination of the Holt spies and his dating Lance who shared everything with everyone. 

But being miserable wasn’t going to catch this idiot who they were chasing. 

Keith let Thace take the lead, figuring that if he was looking at the other man’s back then maybe he would find it easier to keep pace with him. They crept along at a snail’s pace, following updates from street scanners and signs of disruption like upended chairs at a cafe and a holo glitching from someone running through it. But something about the situation left a bad feeling in the pit of Keith’s stomach. 

“Inspector,” he said, trying to get Thace’s attention, “don’t you think the trail’s too obvious?” 

“Not necessarily,” Thace countered. “Drunk people tend to be unsteady on their feet and might leave such a trail.” 

“But when drunk people are that unsteady, do they usually move that fast?” Keith asked. It was risky to argue with a normal inspector, but his instincts said that something wasn’t right and he trusted them. “Back in the seventh, we had one of the craziest drunks in existence, and even if he was completely wasted he’d still find something odd about this trail.” 

“Perhaps you’re right, but that doesn’t change anything,” Thace said. “We still have our job to do.” 

“But maybe we should regroup. If we had the others-” 

“No can do, Kogane. We have two suspects, going two completely different directions. If we group up to go after one, we’ll likely lose to other, and we just can’t afford that. We have a duty to the public to protect them from those that might harm them in any way.” 

What Thace wouldn’t say, but Keith already knew, was that if Keith had any issues with carrying out that duty, he could quit and go back to the detention center at any time. Keith hadn’t spent very long at the detention center before getting recruited as an enforcer, but he remembered it well. It was comfy enough, for a prison. You could requisition any furniture you wanted, and any creature comforts that weren’t deemed dangerous in the hands of a latent criminal. But it was still a prison, no matter how dressed up the jail cells were, and Keith could never seem to forget that. Headquarters was also a prison, but at least it was a prison that allowed Keith to move around. He could visit the other “inmates”, he could go on excursions with the “wardens”, and there was no list of items that weren’t approved for an enforcer. He could even have a sword if he wanted. 

“Yes sir,” Keith sighed, and followed resolutely. He couldn’t help but bitterly think that if it were Lance or Hunk or Shiro, they would have listened to him. They too trusted his instincts. 

They finally found the suspect in an alley, and once again, Keith’s instincts screamed at him that something was off. The alley was a dead end. He was certain that if he said something to Thace, the inspector would insist that the suspect hadn’t expected pursuit, or had thought they’d run far enough or something. But no, everything was wrong. Not that Keith would be able to convince Thace of that. 

Thace approached the suspect slowly, producing his holo-badge as he bent over the crouched-over figure huddled near the end of the alley. 

“My name is Inspector Thace from the MWPSB,” Thace said. “We need you to come with us so we can get you to a therapy center for some emergency psycho-pass treatment.” 

“You’re an inspector?” the suspect asked. Keith blinked a bit, since he’d assumed the suspect was a man but their voice indicated a woman instead. 

“Yes,” Thace confirmed. 

“And who’s he? An enforcer?” 

“Yes, he’s-” Thace began, but then trailed off. Enforcers weren’t common knowledge. As far as most people were concerned, everyone who worked for the MWPSB was “police”. 

Keith was already on the move, his Dominator in his hand, but the suspect was already lunging forward, slashing at Thace with a previously unseen knife. Thace reeled back, a gash slicing across his torso. It was shallow enough that Thace would live so long as he got it treated, but deep enough that he needed treatment fast. But all of that wouldn’t matter if the suspect got another slash, or worse yet a stab, in. Luckily Keith was already there, parrying the knife with his Dominator and even managing to knock the knife out of her hands. The knife clattered away, and Keith turned the gun on the suspect, but she was already fleeing. Clearly she’d realized that without the knife her chances went down, and with one uninjured enforcer still armed her chances were even less. 

“Inspector, call it in, I’m going after her!” Keith called, and took off in pursuit. He heard Thace calling after him, trying to get him to stop, but only barely since the air was rushing past his ears and lessening the sound of the inspector’s voice. He knew he should listen, but hey, the inspector had insisted they catch this perp, so that’s what he was gonna do. Thace didn’t listen to him when he was suggesting caution, so why should he listen to Thace calling for it now that it was too late? 

Keith followed the suspect through the streets, barrelling after her as she descended into a service tunnel and began to run through the underbowels of the city. Of the two of them, he was a little bit faster, a little more agile, and had much greater endurance. He would catch her. And soon. He would do his duty as an enforcer, and everyone could suck it. 

Keith was still a few steps shy of the suspect when the power went out, plunging the place into complete darkness. 

Shit. 

No, Keith did not have a convenient flashlight handy. His Dominator gave off a little light, but not enough to see much of anything by. He couldn’t even see his legs with the weak light it was giving off. He thought about trying to fire it, but the trigger would lock without a target and also the blast would be more effective at blinding him than actually helping him see anything. 

Keith couldn’t say what alerted him to his imminent danger, but some instinct- perhaps a slight sound he heard or just that sense of someone being close- told him he was being attacked and he barely managed to get his guard up before he was hit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a punch or kick or anything he might have blocked. Instead, it was his attacker throwing their entire weight at him, bowling him over. Before he could get to his feet, the attacker was on him again, kicking viciously at his ribs and causing him to instinctively curl in on himself. And being the stupid idiot that he apparently was, his hand released his Dominator; a fact that he only realized as it went spinning off into the distance, presumably kicked by his attacker. 

Hoping that it was the Dominator that had given away his position, he rolled, trying to ignore the fact that he was still struggling for air after the kick to his ribs. He tried to crawl to his feet and get back up, but the attacker was already there, kicking again, and gyawd, would they just stop it already? At this rate… 

At this rate he would end up failing. He would end up unconscious, or dead, and the suspect or suspects (it was seeming likely to him that the original suspect had help down here) would get away, and he would have defied orders on top of it all, and they’d send him back to the detention center to wallow in how unwanted he was. It had been inevitable that things would turn out like that all along, hadn’t it? 

Well fuck that. Keith had always been too stubborn to give up, and Shiro had taught him that every opponent has both strengths and weaknesses, and the way to win is to make sure you are strong in the areas where they are weak. This opponent had made themselves strong by leaving him blind and breathless. They could keep him from getting up using kicks, but he could use their need to kick against them. 

Keith curled up again to catch his breath, needing to do that much at least before he could make his attempt to turn the tables. Sure enough, the merciless opponent kept kicking him, always seeming to target his front side. Either they had no clue where they were kicking, or they assumed that the face and stomach were good targets since they would feel more pain when hit. Personally, Keith would have gone for the back. There were still sensitive spots back there, plus the target couldn’t reach to counterattack. Lucky for him, his attacker didn’t think the same way he did. 

Once he could breathe again, Keith waited for the next kick, knowing where it would be coming from and approximately when. He probably would only get one shot at this, so he had to make it count. The moment he felt the foot making contact, he lunged, wrapping himself around the leg it was attached to and hearing the assailant cry out in surprise and he yanked them off their feet. From there, he didn’t need to see. He wrenched at the leg, jarring it out of place and eliciting a howl from his opponent. They wouldn’t be getting up now. 

Carefully, he edged away from the attacker and inched over to where he could still see his Dominator glowing. Once he had the gun again, he turned on his comms to report that he’d immobilized a target, though he wasn’t sure if it was the target he’d originally gone after, but the comms were dead. Shit. 

Keith tried to remember which way he’d come from. If he could just get back to the surface, he’d be able to contact HQ. But getting back to the surface was a pretty big if when he was trapped in pitch darkness and had no clue which way was which. 

* * *

Keith had no clue how long he’d been wandering in the darkness, but it felt like hours. His fight earlier, if it could even be called a fight, was beginning to take its toll on him, with muscle aches and general weariness. All of which probably meant he’d been wandering for about fifteen minutes, give or take a few. 

He hadn’t found his way out of the service tunnels yet, and he probably wasn’t going to for a while. He barely even know where the walls were, so there was no way of telling how far he’d gone or in which direction. And the worst part? He was all alone. Completely. 

Not that Keith minded being alone, usually. He wasn’t really a social person, and so preferred to spend his free time being solitary. But being alone, in the dark, while lost, with everything going wrong… it just gave him time to dwell on all his mistakes and imagine conversations he would never have. Like how he would apologize to Lance. Or what he should have said rather than getting so angry. Or how he’d ask Shiro for advice. Or what a therapy session with Shay would go like right about now. Though perhaps “conversations” was an incorrect term, since it was mostly Keith monologuing in his head to whichever solo audience he was imagining at the moment. 

Just when Keith was about to sit down and try to come up with a new plan, the lights came back on with a vengeance. It was just the dim lighting of emergency lights, and yet Keith felt like his retinas had been seared straight off his eyeballs. He flinched, throwing an arm up to protect his smarting eyes, and squinted, trying to see if there were any kind of landmarks, preferably ones that looked familiar. They’d come down in a tunnel that was marked J2… 

The tunnel he was currently in was marked P9. How had Keith gotten from J2 to P9? Wasn’t that pretty far, since there were five letters between J and P and six numbers between 2 and 9? Maybe he really had been down here for hours. How had the power been out that long? And how much trouble was he in for being gone so long? Whatever the case, he was almost definitely fired, his comms were still not working, and he still had no idea how to get to the surface from here. 

Picking a direction at random, Keith strode off. There had to be a way back to the surface around there somewhere, and he would find it and contact HQ and request pickup. And hopefully he wouldn’t die of shame when they arrested him, because they surely would. He just hoped they’d at least let him stop by HQ to pack up his stuff. Or maybe they’d have Shiro do it for him. Except Shiro would probably be so disappointed in him that he’d refuse. 

Keith hadn’t gotten very far when he heard voices. He stopped in his tracks, wondering if maybe his ears had deceived him. But no, they were faint, but there. He resumed his walking with renewed vigor, trying to find whoever was speaking. Maybe it was his colleagues, come looking for him. Or perhaps it was a service crew who could point him to the surface. Either way, it was his ticket back to HQ. He redoubled his pace yet again as he set off towards the voices, following his ears. 

Had he been paying attention, he might have noticed the sensors on the wall. But he wasn’t paying attention, and he blazed right past them and set them off. An alarm began to shriek, and the voices stopped, and Keith barely had time to look around and notice the sensors that he’d missed before the floor opened up beneath him. 

The fall wasn’t too bad. That wasn’t to say it didn’t hurt some. But when he looked back up towards the opening above him that was his primary source of light, it appeared to be only about eight feet or so- the height of a normal room. That was all that was normal about the space he was in though, since the walls were rounded and slanted away from the gap to prevent anyone who got caught down here from climbing up. He hated it instantly. 

As soon as he’d recovered from the fall, Keith scrambled to one of the rounded edges of the room, making himself as small as possible and clutching at his Dominator, ready to shoot at whoever came to the edge of the pitfall. Sure, they might be someone who could help him out. But normal people didn’t set up pitfalls triggered by alarms. Only people with things to hide did. And people with things to hide were usually latent criminals. 

Keith had barely gotten to his relative safety when he heard footsteps, too many to be just one person. He would guess three. Maybe four. 

“Let’s see who was poking around down here…” a cheerful woman’s voice sang, just before four women came into view and stood above the pitfall, looking down into it. Their eyes roamed the pit before spotting him. He sized them up, noticing them doing the same. The largest woman’s hand was toying with a gun as she peered at him, making her his first target. 

“Wait, is that…?” asked the skinniest woman, her voice being the one that had spoken a minute ago. 

“We better tell Lotor,” said the shortest woman. “Narti, go get him.” 

The second largest woman nodded and left, and the largest one was fidgeting with her gun even more, making Keith really nervous. As far as targets went, he had the advantage, since she was a larger target and was standing in the light whereas he was a smaller target and in the dark. But if Keith was being truly honest, he was kinda a lousy shot. That was part of why he and Lance worked so well together: they balanced each other out. 

“Can I shoot him?” the big woman asked. 

“No!” the short woman barked back. She seemed to be the one giving orders for the moment, until Lotor arrived. 

Lotor. Why did that name sound vaguely familiar? 

The big woman pouted, but obediently refrained from training her gun on Keith. Not that he felt much better about it. She began to spin it on her finger, and it dropped, falling down to join Keith, and holy shit it wasn’t any old gun, it was a Dominator. 

And then it came back to Keith. Lotor was the name of one of the tenth division inspectors. The tenth division who almost never took cases, had gotten away with not helping out at all during the recent increase in crime, and who pretty much no one ever saw. 

“Are you guys enforcers from the tenth?” Keith asked. 

“Silence,” the short woman ordered calmly. Keith thought about making obnoxious noises just to rebel, but decided against it since he was assuming the other two also had Dominators and he didn’t want to get shot. 

As minutes began to tick by, the skinny woman began to sing, just a bunch of nonsense syllables meant to pass the time. “Doo doo doo doot, bipadee pah pah, laaaaa,” 

“Ezor, stop that,” the bossy one commanded. 

“But I’m bored!” Ezor whined. 

“I’m bored too. Are you sure I can’t shoot him?” the large woman asked. 

“Zethrid, no!” 

“But-” 

“What seems to be the problem here?” a posh male voice asked. Keith shifted nervously. 

“See for yourself,” the short woman said, and gestured to the pitfall. 

A man walked up to the edge. He was attractive, probably about Shiro’s age, maybe a year or two younger. In fact, Shiro was a good person to compare him to. Keith thought they were about the same height, though looking up at him from eight feet down it was kinda hard to tell for certain. The man had a slimmer build than Shiro, but was similarly muscled. As for his skin and hair, well, in a weird way, it was like looking at a male version of Allura, albeit with a different face. 

The man looked down at Keith, and Keith watched as his eyebrows leapt up his forehead. 

“Well, well, well,” the man murmured. “Kogane, is it not? What an odd place to find an AWOL enforcer.” 

“I got lost,” Keith spat. The man’s tone was light and friendly, but it still grated on his nerves with the implications his words held. 

“Oh I’m sure,” the man laughed, and Keith really wanted to punch him because it was clear he thought Keith was lying. 

“You don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to,” Keith growled. “It’s not like I can force you to. But last I checked, it was pretty normal to get lost trying to find your way around tunnels when there’s no power on and the only light is your Dominator. Which, by the way, is far too dim to be navigating by.” 

“He has a point,” Narti said, appearing between Ezor and Zethrid. 

“Indeed he does,” Lotor said in that same infuriatingly light tone, a bemused smile on his face. “As it happens, I’ve been meaning to meet with the other divisions, and bringing you in could help arrange that.” 

“So does that mean I can shoot him?” Zethrid asked. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” the short woman muttered, putting the heel of her hand to her forehead. 

“Acxa, language. Zethrid, why don’t we hear Mr. Kogane out before we make any decisions, alright?” 

“Meaning no,” Zethrid muttered sulkily. 

“Zoey, you already dropped your Dominator, what are you planning to shoot him with?” Ezor asked. 

“You could always lend me yours,” Zethrid suggested. 

“Both of you, shush,” the man said. He turned to Keith. “So, here’s what I propose. You tell us what happened, and we’ll keep an eye on your psycho-pass using our Dominators. If you lie, your crime coefficient will show it, and Zethrid gets permission to shoot you. If what you say is the truth… well, we’ll figure things out once we’ve heard it.” 

“Fine by me,” Keith said. He caught looks of surprise on the faces of the enforcers above him. Clearly they hadn’t expected him to agree so easily. But really, there was no reason not to. He had nothing to lose by cooperating. With any luck, it would get him back to HQ. And if not, he somehow suspected whatever happened to him wouldn’t be a problem for very long. Though in the case of not, he would have at least liked to make up with everyone first so he at least had no lingering regrets. 

“Alright,” the man agreed. He motioned for the enforcers to raise their Dominators, and all except Zethrid did. Keith tried to stay calm, but it was hard with three enforcers pointing weapons at him it was a little hard. He just hoped they wouldn’t assume that meant he was planning to lie. 

“So tell us,” the man began, but he was cut off by Acxa. 

“Wait a moment. His coefficient’s unstable.” 

“Then we shoot him!” Zethrid cried. 

“Zethrid, he has three Dominators being pointed at him right now. Of course his coefficient is unstable,” Acxa snapped. 

“It’s more steady now,” Narti reported. “207.” 

“If you’re done quibbling,” the man said acerbically. Keith found that tone much more appealing than his earlier joviality. 

“Sorry sir,” Acxa whispered. 

“So, Kogane,” the man said with exaggerated patience. “What events led to you coming here today?” 

“I was chasing a suspect,” Keith said. “The suspect went down into the service tunnels, I followed, but then the power went out. While it was out, someone attacked me, maybe the suspect I was chasing, maybe someone else. I immobilized them, but when I tried to report in I discovered my comms were dead, so I tried to get back to the surface to report in, but between the darkness and lack of knowledge of the area, I merely ended up going from J2 to P9, and when I heard voices, I thought it was someone who could point me to the exit so I could call an inspector to get back to HQ, but when I tried to follow them I wound up here.” 

“No spikes that I’m seeing,” Ezor commented after Keith finished. “Guess that means he’s telling the truth.” 

“So you did not mean to go AWOL?” the man asked. 

“Well, Inspector Thace did try to call me back when I gave chase…” Keith mumbled. 

“But you had no intentions of running away, Kogane?” 

“None. I like my job, and it’s not like I really like dealing with people, so it’s no real bother that I can’t move around on my own.” 

“Still steady,” Narti said. 

“I see,” the man mused. “Very well. I will contact your division and inform them that I found you, and that you were… indisposed, making you unable to call in or return on your own. You’re in the seventh division, correct?” 

“Ninth,” Keith corrected. 

“But I thought you worked with Shirogane. He’s seventh.” 

“I was transferred.” 

“Oooh, touchy,” Ezor sang. She still had her Dominator pointed at him, and had probably noticed a rise in his crime coefficient. Or maybe it was just his tone of voice that gave away how sensitive a topic that was for him. 

“I’ll come back when we’ve made contact with your superiors,” the man continued as if Ezor hadn’t said anything. “Until then, please wait here.” 

“Not like I have a choice,” Keith muttered. 

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll have one of my enforcers wait with you. Narti, if you please?” 

Narti nodded in acknowledgment and handed Zethrid her gun, then jumped down into the pitfall with Keith. He sized her up, noting that she was taller than him and had lots of lean muscles; the kind of opponent who could attack fast and put her weight behind each hit to do some major damage. If it came to a fight between the two of them, she would be dangerous. 

The other enforcers and the man- probably Inspector Lotor- walked away, leaving just Keith and Narti there in the pit. 

* * *

Lance was examining a store that had been burgled, looking for any clues as to which way the perpetrator went, when the notification came in. Initially, he assumed it was yet another case that he and his team couldn’t handle since they already had three other crime scenes waiting to be examined, and he swiped it away, only for it to reappear above his wrist computer seconds later. 

“Lance, you’ll want to see this one,” Pidge’s voice said over the comms. Lance sighed, but went ahead and opened the notification because he trusted Pidge. 

As soon as Lance’s eye processed what he was seeing on the projection from his wrist computer, he called Hunk. 

“Hunk, you seeing this?” he asked. 

“You mean the new alert? Yeah, I saw it,” Hunk confirmed. 

“But, there’s just no way, right?” 

“Lance, his last known location is nowhere near you, so it’s not your problem. Don’t worry about it.” 

“Don’t worry about it?! Hunk, you know as well as I do that Keith would never go AWOL!” 

Both Rolo and Nyma’s heads snapped up at that. They were Lance’s team for the day, and had been searching for anything that might give them a suspect, but at Lance’s shout they dropped everything to come over and stand by Lance. 

“Look, Lance, it’s better if you just drop it. You’ll only stress yourself out, and your hue-” 

“My hue is fine, Hunk,” Lance retorted. “Still baby blue.” 

“I just don’t want you getting hurt again,” Hunk soothed. 

“I won’t,” Lance replied, and hung up. After all, how could he get hurt when he was already numb? 

That’s how Lance had felt for the past month. Numb. His hue was fine, because he didn’t feel the pain of being betrayed. He didn’t feel anger towards Keith for what he’d said, or grief at the end of such a meaningful relationship, he didn’t feel any of it, so it couldn’t affect his hue. He was fine. 

“Are we going to go looking for him then?” Nyma asked. 

“No,” Lance replied. “We have too much else to do. Besides, I’m sure he’ll turn up on his own.” 

“If you say so, inspector,” Rolo said, and turned back to his work. He and Nyma both cast frequent glances in Lance’s direction after that though. It was okay. Lance was used to it. People had been giving him lots of concerned looks since he went on vacation. They didn’t need to though, since he was fine. 

In the end, the three of them went over a grand total of five more crime scenes, and managed to catch a group of four burglars who had been behind three of the robberies they’d seen that day. They were exhausted when they returned to the office. And honestly, exhausted was pretty much their permanent state of being these days. Hunk, Shiro, and Shinya trudged in about five minutes after Lance and his team, looking like they’d been dragged across the city and back. Which, maybe they had. 

Lance fell asleep twice while writing his reports for the day. He might have felt embarrassed, but he knew the others had been falling asleep trying to complete paperwork recently too. Everyone was just so busy these days, and they were often kept late, and they always had lots and lots of reports to write. It made Lance miss the days when he’d sit around in boredom for an entire shift, wishing for something to happen and cursing the peaceful society Sybil had wrought in the country. 

After he finally finished his paperwork, Lance was in the elevator to go to the garage and drive home, but something prompted him to press the button for the floor with the ninth division’s offices instead. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was concern. Maybe it was spite. He couldn’t say for certain, because it was an unconscious action, brought on by an emotion he no longer knew how to feel. Either way, he found himself walking up to Inspector Kolivan, not sure why he was there or what he wanted to say. 

“McClain,” Kolivan greeted tiredly. He probably didn’t have any extra energy to spare on unnecessary words. Lance could understand that. 

“Kolivan,” Lance replied, unsure what else to say. What was he doing here? 

“What do you need, McClain?” Kolivan asked after the silence stretched too long. 

Lance opened his mouth, brain still searching for words, but the words poured out of him before he could even think them. 

“Are you sure Keith went AWOL? Like really sure? Because that’s just not like him. There’s gotta be some mistake.” 

Kolivan gave Lance a long look, before sighing and rubbing his face. 

“Kogane disobeyed a direct order, McClain. He was told to stay put, but he ran off.” 

“Well maybe he saw something that-” 

“McClain, you do not know what the situation was, so you should just leave it alone. Kogane is AWOL, and that’s that.” 

“You’re right, I don’t know the situation. I just know Keith. And I know that he would not run away. If he didn’t listen to an order to stay put, it may have been because he saw something. He’s not one to just stand idly by when a crime is taking place or when a criminal is in his sights. But as soon as they’re neutralized, he’ll report in.” 

“Except he hasn’t reported in yet, and it’s been hours.” 

“Which could mean he’s hurt, or in trouble, and can’t report in!” Lance didn’t know why he was raising his voice. He didn’t have the energy to shout, and yet here he was, shouting in a senior inspector’s face. And for what? A guy who had dumped him. Dumped him mercilessly, and shattered his heart. A guy who couldn’t even stand to see him, and had up and transferred to another division. A guy who, despite everything, he still cared about. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t be looking for him, but if you find him, you should at least give him a chance to explain!” 

“Your loyalty is admirable, McClain. But I am wonder if it doesn’t cross the line of becoming a bias.” 

This time when Lance’s mouth opened, there were no words, only choked sounds of offense that came from his throat. 

“Excuse me, am I interrupting?” a voice asked pleasantly from the doorway. Lance and Kolivan both turned to face the speaker, and Lance saw a man who appeared to be in his late twenties. He must be nearing promotion. He was pretty, and in the past Lance might have flirted with him. 

“Lotor,” Kolivan said, sounding even more tired than when he’d first greeted Lance. 

“Konrad,” Lotor said lightly. “And I do not believe I’ve had the pleasure,” he added to Lance, tilting his head in curiosity. 

“Lance McClain,” Lance said, extending a hand. “I’m an inspector.” 

“You must be Allura’s replacement then,” Lotor said, taking Lance’s hand and shaking it. “I’m Lawrence Lotor, from the tenth division.” 

“The tenth division? I was beginning to think you guys were just a myth,” Lance said. 

“I assure you, we’re real,” Lotor laughed. “Just that chief Haggar likes to keep us in reserve. The tenth division was her division back in the day, and I’m not sure if she keeps us from doing much out of favoritism for her old division or resentment since we’re not the tenth division that she was part of. But anyway, I didn’t come here to chat. I came for two reasons. First and foremost, my division came across Enforcer Kogane in the service tunnels earlier. He was unconscious when we found him, and we didn’t want to risk moving him, but we also found an enforcement target that he’d immobilized, so it seems likely that he was on his way to call in the capture when he was attacked and knocked out.” 

Lance sucked in a breath. Keith, knocked out. His Keith. 

_Except Keith isn’t yours anymore, you clingy moron. He doesn’t want you, so stop mooning over him!_

“I trust you’ll bring him in as soon as you deem it safe,” Kolivan said. 

“Of course,” Lotor replied, inclining his head. “As for the second thing, I was hoping to arrange a little meeting of sorts amongst the seventh, eighth, and ninth divisions. I would like all inspectors there, and enforcers are welcome too, but only if you trust them.” 

“A wise man doesn’t trust a latent criminal,” Kolivan said blandly. 

“But a good one does,” Lance retorted. “And do you seriously expect me to believe that you come into this job everyday, and go out into life-threatening situations while working alongside latent criminals, and you don’t trust them at all?” 

“I never said I was wise,” Kolivan said wryly, and just for a second, Lance could swear his mouth twitched. Or maybe not. Lance was pretty tired, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he was imagining things. 

“Is that a yes on the meeting then?” Lotor asked. 

“That depends on what it’s about,” Kolivan said. 

“I have sensitive information regarding the recent uptick in crime that must be shared, but only in safe quarters. It is of the utmost importance that everyone be there.” 

“I see. When and where would this meeting take place?” Kolivan asked. 

“I was hoping soon. Tomorrow afternoon, perhaps? 2:00 in the lecture hall?” 

“I’ll be there. And anyone my division can spare.” 

“Excellent. Would you mind also talking to Iverson for me? He’s a good man, but I find him rather tiresome.” 

“Understood.” 

“And Lance? May I call you Lance?” 

“It’s fine,” Lance told Lotor. “And I’ll talk to Hunk. He’s the senior inspector in our division, so what he says, goes. But precisely because of the recent crime surge, I’m not sure we’ll be able to make it.” 

“Lance,” Lotor said chidingly. “I assure you, what we will discuss is more important than stopping a bunch of petty crimes.” 

“And what if something that isn’t a petty crime occurs?” 

“It’ll have to wait. My information is that important.” Lotor swept out the door as soon as he’d finished the last statement, leaving Lance and Kolivan to trade looks. Something was definitely going on. But until tomorrow, who could say what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, my beta felt that there wasn't sufficient explanation as to why Keith just left his attacker in the tunnel but I couldn't figure out where to explain that, so I'm putting it here. Basically, Keith's counterattack rendered his assailant unable to walk, meaning he would have had to carry them despite the fact that he was already tired out from their scuffle, and also he was lost and running blind. He had a lot of reasons not to drag them with him.  
> Secondly, you may have noticed that I gave some of the Galra inspectors and enforcers first names. I went with alliterative names because I am lazy, so there's Lawrence Lotor, Konrad Kolivan, Theodore Thace, Astrid Acxa, Edith Ezor, Zoey Zethrid, Naomi Narti, Antoine Antok, Kourtney Krolia, Regis Regris, and Ulrich Ulaz.  
> Third, since a couple comments mentioned being excited about Nyatt, I'm sorry to say that they aren't going to get much attention... :( I'd try and write a oneshot about them because they deserve it but I've been shifting towards another fandom so writing VLD stuff is kinda hard at this point.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like drama because that's a thing.

Keith, the enforcers from the tenth division, and Lotor were the first to arrive at the lecture hall where Lotor’s meeting would be held. They were almost half an hour early. Despite the plentiful seating in the room, Keith opted to stand leaning against the back wall, arms crossed with one leg bent with the sole of his foot flat on the wall behind him. He could just imagine people from the seventh division teasing him about choosing to stand like that for “maximum angst factor”. But really, it was just comfortable. 

While they waited for the other divisions to arrive, Keith found himself trying to figure out the tenth division enforcers. Like the enforcers of any division he’d seen, they were a close-knit bunch, but there was something odd about them. His interactions with them had been pretty minimal, and hadn’t allowed him to quite figure out what was weird, but he thought it was that their attitudes towards him had been almost pitying. At first he’d thought maybe it was because he was likely going to be arrested, but now that he was standing in this room and being left alone, it seemed unlikely. 

The eighth division was the first to arrive, both inspectors and all four enforcers filing in and taking seats in the front row like a bunch of teacher’s pets. Keith tried his best to ignore them, and turned his thoughts instead to the person who was even more puzzling than the tenth division enforcers: Lotor. Why did he need to bring Keith in to hold this meeting? And why had he been in the service tunnels? And how did every word that came out of his mouth seem both flirtatious and threatening at the same time? 

A hand on Keith’s shoulder startled him, and he actually jumped when he noticed it belonged to Shiro. Shiro was frowning, but there was a bit of comfort offered in the squeeze of his hand before he let go and walked away. And after being raised by Shiro, Keith knew the meaning behind that silent bit of communication: Shiro was still mad at Keith, but he’d been worried when Keith had been reported AWOL. When Keith looked for the rest of the division, he saw similar looks on Rolo and Nyma’s faces. It was nice knowing that even pissed at him, they all still cared. Keith’s eyes continued searching the faces of the seventh division, noting that Matt had come with them, and continuing on until he saw the one he was looking for. He almost wished he hadn’t though. 

Lance had changed a lot in the last month. Before, he’d had a face that was made for laughing. Even when he was angry and scowling furiously, you still half-expected him to burst out laughing because there was always that bit of lightheartedness softening the edges of his face. But now, there was no trace of laughter, or smiling. All the gentleness was gone, replaced by hard lines that spoke of a quiet anger and deep-seated hurt. It made Keith’s heart ache to see this Lance who was so different. And it was probably his fault that Lance had changed so. Sure, it had been a rough month for everyone, but only Lance had suffered from unfair accusations and a cruel breakup. And who had done that to him again? The emo idiot leaning against the wall, a.k.a. Keith Kogane. 

Keith forced himself to look away from Lance, and just in time because right then the ninth division entered, and of course Kolivan went straight for Keith, followed by Krolia. Keith lowered his leg and arms uncertainly, suddenly nervous. But Kolivan just took a place on the wall next to Keith and stood, arms crossed and face as impassive as ever, while Krolia gave Keith a warm hug and smiled at him before going to take a seat. Keith settled back against the wall, but his eyes kept darting to the side to glance at Kolivan standing next to him, seeking out some sort of signal as to what kind of trouble he was in. 

As everyone got comfortable, Lotor stepped up to the podium, calling the room to attention. 

“Thank you all for coming at such short notice,” Lotor began. “I apologize for the inconvenience, but it is essential that what I have to say reach all of you. It concerns the recent uptick in crimes in our city, but also something far more dire, so I will start with the one thing that ties everything together: Zachary Zarkon has escaped.” 

Keith shivered. Zachary Zarkon was the worst criminal to ever hit their city. Zarkon had been an inspector once, and a good one, but as time went on the measures he took in order to catch enforcement targets became more and more extreme, until his colleagues had had him suspended. Enraged, Zarkon had gone on a rampage, storming a detention center and massacring the prisoners until he was stopped, claiming he was merely trying to purge the world of that which would taint it, and that which had tainted him. In the span of a couple days, his crime coefficient had spiked from 86 to 830, the second highest coefficient on record and the fastest recorded rise. 

“Impossible,” Iverson retorted from the first row. “He’s in a high security facility, there are plenty of guards and safety mechanisms and he’d never get past them all, and even if he did, we’d know it.” 

“Unfortunately for us, that is not true,” Lotor replied. “Because Zarkon has, in fact, escaped. He almost definitely had inside help. How he did it, I do not know, but I know this: the person in his cell is merely a hologram, and his hue checks are on a loop. Should our lab techs look into it, I am sure they will be able to confirm what I’m saying.” 

“Supposing we believe you,” Kolivan said, “what does this have to do with the recent crime wave? Are you saying Zarkon is behind it?” 

“Exactly,” Lotor confirmed. “Zarkon’s goal is to weaken us. He wants to tire us out, and distract us from seeing his real aim, which is vengeance.” 

Once again, Keith shivered. If Zarkon went on a second rampage, he was likely to target the MWPSB as well as latent criminals, meaning enforcers would likely be his first targets. And most of the people Keith cared about were enforcers. 

“So you think Zarkon plans to attack us?” Thace asked. 

“Eventually, yes, but before that, he has a bigger vendetta. While he bears resentment towards the MWPSB as a whole, the people he sees as his real enemies are those who blew the whistle on him to begin with: Alfor Altea, Terry Trigel, Blake Blaytz, and Godfrey Gyrgan. Four of our most prominent local government officials.” 

This time, Keith wasn’t the one shivering: the whole room was. 

“And how exactly do you know all this?” Kogami’s voice rang out. A couple people bristled to see an enforcer speaking out of turn, but Kogami ignored them. 

“Because Zarkon is relying on the tenth division as part of his plan,” Lotor said. “He has Inspector Sendak on his side, and, as some of you may be aware, Zarkon is my father. He seems to think that this means I will assist him. I will not. Thus far, I have not participated actively in his schemes, instead trying to come up with a plan to counter him by familiarizing myself with his intentions. However, it is not something that I or even my division can handle alone, which is why I am turning to all of you. I need your help. We cannot let Zarkon succeed.” 

“You say Sendak is on his side?” Kolivan asked. His tone was calm and accepting despite the fact that he was asking about something that should have been impossible. 

“Yes,” Lotor responded. “Sendak is a brute of a man. His hue may be clear, but don’t let that fool you. He keeps it clear through violence and bullying. There are even victims among us right now, though some might be unaware of it.” 

“Victims? Who?” Iverson demanded. 

“Myself and my enforcers, for one. But also, Sendak was instrumental in the events that led to the deaths of an inspector and two enforcers, and the demotion of Enforcer Shirogane.” 

The whole room froze. Keith’s fists and jaw clenched. And then suddenly Matt was lunging to his feet, and Shiro was up half a second later, latching onto Matt before he could so much as take a step. Matt struggled, but Shiro held firm. 

“You do realize that the event which you are referring to had a strong negative impact on about a third of the people in this room,” Iverson said darkly, watching the scene between the enforcer and lab tech, and for once, Keith felt an affinity to the man, a sort of anger bond between the two of them. 

“I do,” Lotor said. “And I realize some may even feel the urge to act rashly as a result of this information. However, I trust that cooler heads will prevail, and even if they don’t, the likelihood of any of you coming into contact with Inspector Sendak is rather slim at the moment, as District Chief Haggar, who, by the way, is also complicit in Zarkon’s plans, has exempted the tenth division from any obligations to report to headquarters. As far as I know, Sendak hasn’t come here in months.” 

“The district chief as well?” Kaltenacker asked, shaking his head. 

“I’m afraid so,” Lotor said. “Though I don’t see why you’re surprised. Honerva Haggar is Zarkon’s former partner, his wife, and also my mother. And I have no doubt that however he escaped, she had much to do with it.” 

“So is there any good news to be had?” Hunk asked. “Like, I dunno, some sort of plan? Some way this city doesn’t get dragged into oblivion?” 

“As a matter of fact, yes. And it just so happens that you are the man who must take the first step, Tsuyoshi.” 

Hunk paled. 

“M-me?” 

“Yes. We need to bring Allura Altea back from the capital. If I, or anyone else here, were to call her, it may raise suspicions. But you were her junior, and as such it makes sense that you might keep in touch with her. You need to convince her to come here so I can convince her to convince her father and his colleagues to allow us to protect them.” 

“That’s a lot of convincing,” Thace remarked softly. 

“So I just call Allura and ask her to come visit?” Hunk asked. 

“Indeed. Should be simple enough. Once we have everyone on board, we can work out a defensive strategy so that, as soon as we get word that Zarkon’s attack on the former inspectors is imminent, we can whisk them to safety and take on Zarkon ourselves.” 

“And what happens if you get discovered as a double agent?” Lance asked. 

“I won’t,” Lotor said confidently. And gyawdammit, he winked at Lance. That fucker. 

_Don’t get jealous, you have no right to be jealous after the way you treated him and fucking broke up with him, and you could be misreading the situation again,_ Keith told himself. _You’re probably just upset because Lotor is hot and next to him you probably look disgusting, especially since you need a shower, and who would ever want you when they could have someone like him, and oh by the way, good job on that not getting jealous thing ‘cuz you’re really doing splendidly at that, let me tell you._

Yeah, Keith really had some issues. No wonder he was a latent criminal. 

Keith spent the rest of the meeting trying to calm the burning rage inside him that he ought not be feeling. He didn’t pay much attention to what was being said. It was mostly just people quibbling over little details about what should be done when and by whom, and it didn’t matter. If Keith wasn’t fired, then when the time came he’d just go where he was told to go and deal with any enforcement targets who came his way. After all, that was his job. 

* * *

Lance sighed and propped his forehead on his fists. He stared at the holographic file in front of him, as if maybe if he looked long enough, it would change what the file said. 

From things Keith had said back when he and Lance were still together, Lance had gathered that Shiro’s demotion had come as a result of a work incident. Lance had checked Shiro’s file and hadn’t noticed anything special, which meant whatever incident had happened hadn’t been of a personal nature. So Lance had dug through the seventh division’s old case files, and he’d found this. 

The details of the case were laid out cold and impersonal. There had been an area stress alert at a shopping mall. A simple case really. The mall had been evacuated, and the seventh division was sent in to investigate. As usual, they’d split up to cover more ground, but after ten minutes, Inspector Altea had lost contact with Inspector Shirogane. She had recalled the group back to where they’d split up, but Inspector Shirogane and the two enforcers with him never returned. Their bodies were found later, shot close range. 

All in all, it made no sense. Which meant Lance had to do the one thing he’d wanted to avoid doing, which was to go right to the source: he’d have to talk to Shiro. 

And just how did one broach the subject of one’s demotion and apparent death? 

“Hello Shiro! Say, by any chance, would you happen to be a zombie?” 

“Hey man, I heard you’re undead, how’d that happen?” 

“Yo Shiro. I was just wondering, how exactly did you get demoted again?” 

“‘Sup Shiro the hero. How’s the afterlife treating ya?” 

“Hey, um, are you dead?” 

“Hello there, Enforcer Shirogane. Please pardon my intrusion, but I was hoping I could borrow a little bit of your time to discuss the very personal details of your demotion which, doubtlessly you are unwilling to share but which I will still demand from you since I outrank you so suck it.” 

Yeah, somehow, none of those seemed like good ways to start. Lance would have to think of something a little less insensitive on the way to Shiro’s room. 

When Shiro answered Lance’s knock, there was a cat on his head. 

“Um, Shiro? There’s a-” Lance pointed at the cat, making vague motions with his finger to try and draw extra attention to the strangeness of Shiro’s living fashion accessory. 

“Yeah, she does that,” Shiro said drily, his eyes glancing upwards towards the cat that he couldn’t see. “Just ignore her. She’ll probably jump off soon enough since she doesn’t much like people. Anyway, what can I do for you Lance?” 

“Er, um, well… could I come in?” 

“Of course. Be my guest.” Shiro stood aside and made a sweeping motion of invitation into his room. Lance entered hesitantly. Sure, he’d been in Keith’s room before, and the rooms of Rolo and Nyma and the Holts, but going into Shiro’s room was somehow different from going into any of theirs. Keith was Lance’s boyfriend- ex-boyfriend now- and Rolo and Nyma and the Holts were all like siblings to Lance, to the point where he’d almost asked them if they were calling his mom often enough since she got worried when she didn’t hear from her children. But Shiro was someone to look up to and admire. Sure you could joke around with him, but there was always a certain distance. He was more like a parent than a sibling, and while Lance’s parents often invited their children into their room, that invitation was always necessary. A parent’s room was like a sacred space to Lance, and therefore demanded respect. 

Except when Lance entered, there was very little about the room that demanded respect. There were clothes strewn over the couch, cat toys scattered across the floor, and a stack of vintage comic books stacked haphazardly in the corner. And suddenly Lance understood a bit better why Keith had always been so insistent on calling Shiro an overgrown kid. 

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Shiro asked. 

“Um, well, that is, I know it’s probably not an easy subject, and you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, and-” Lance hemmed and hawed. 

“Ah. You want to know about my demotion then. I figured it was either that or Keith.” 

Lance blushed at being read so easily, and nodded. 

“Yeah, I wanted to know what happened, but also... Are you dead?” 

Oh god. He’d really gone out and said it, hadn’t he? Nice going, McClain. 

Shiro, thankfully, laughed. He never was one to get angry over little things. But there was a painful tone to his laugh. 

“No, Lance, I’m not dead. But there is an Inspector Shirogane who is, and his death is the main reason I was demoted.” 

“You’re gonna have to give me a little more than that,” Lance said bluntly, then realized how rude that was. “I mean, uh- if that’s-” 

“It’s fine, Lance. Let me start at the beginning. First, the eighth division went through a bit of a rough patch. They lost an inspector and three enforcers all at once. Not that any of them died. They just left the force for various reasons. Anyway, that left Iverson with three new enforcers and a new inspector coming in all at once- a lot for any guy to have to handle. 

“At the time, the seventh division had the most collective experience in the MWPSB. Allura was the inspector who had been around the longest, and I was tied with Sendak and Kolivan for second-longest. We also had four enforcers who had been around for a while- one had even been around when Allura’s father was an inspector. So Mitch came to us, or more specifically, me. We were friends, and so he felt he could ask me a favor, which was that his new partner would switch with me for a day. It made perfect sense: that way the new inspector could work with two experienced enforcers under the supervision of an experienced inspector, and I could help Iverson work with the three new enforcers. 

“Unfortunately, the day that the new inspector and I switched, they… they ran into trouble. There was a mall, and-” 

“I already read the file.” 

“Right. Well anyway, long story short, that new inspector was my little brother, Sven.” 

“Oh,” Lance breathed. That made a lot more sense. How Inspector Shirogane could be dead but also sitting right here talking to Lance. And why that led to Shiro’s demotion. Who wouldn’t experience some turbulence with their psycho-pass if their little brother got killed on the job? 

“Yeah.” 

“Shiro, maybe you should-” 

“If you’re going to tell me to stay off the case, don’t. I’m fine, Lance. Really. I don’t want revenge.” 

“Shiro, it’s okay to be angry.” 

“I know it is. But I’m really not. Or at least, not at anyone else. The only person I’ve ever been angry with over Sven’s death is myself. The file doesn’t say enough that you might expect it, but the reality was that it was very likely that whoever killed Sven thought he was me. We did look rather similar. And now that Lotor said it was Sendak, it makes even more sense. Sendak always had it out for me. I never thought it was enough to try and kill me, but I guess I thought too highly of him. But in the end, it’s my fault. I’m the one that Sendak hated. I’m the one that switched with Sven. I’m the one who should have been there. So I don’t want revenge. I do want to see Sendak brought to justice, but that’s it.” 

“Are you sure? I mean, if it was me and that was my little bro who got killed… I don’t think I could stand it.” 

“You’re right. I can’t stand it. I wish more than anything that my brother were still alive. He would have made a great inspector. But getting revenge won’t bring him back. It won’t change what happened, and it won’t accomplish anything. So I’m alright. Honestly, if there’s anyone you should be concerned about, it’s the Holts.” 

“Yeah, I saw Matt get upset during the meeting. What’s their tie to it? Wasn’t that before they joined?” 

“Sam Holt was their father. He and Slav Stevenson were the two enforcers who died.” 

“Ohhhh. Shit.” 

“I think they’ll be alright, though. They don’t go in the field, plus they’re under scrutiny from all the inspectors rather than just two. Besides, they’re smart enough that they can calculate that the cons of revenge outweigh the pros, or at least, I would think they are. They can do calculus problems in their head, so I don’t see why not.” 

“Well, I know I’ll be sure to check on them now… Anyway, thanks for telling me, Shiro.” 

“No problem. Anything else you want to talk about?” Shiro looked at Lance expectantly, like he thought for sure Lance did have more to say. Lance stared at him blankly. 

“Um, no?” 

“Are you suuuurrrrrrre? Noooothing on your mind? Nothing at aaaaall?” 

“Wh-what else would be on my mind?” Shiro must have been one hell of an interrogator during his inspector days, because he sure could put the pressure on when he wanted. 

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe just a certain someone near and dear to all our hearts? Name starts with a Key and ends with a -th?” 

“Wait, you think I want to talk about Keith?” 

“Well don’t you? You seemed awful worried when he was reported AWOL.” 

“W-worried? I wasn’t worried! What would make you think that? And besides, how would you know? You weren’t even there when I got the news.” 

“Yeah but I was there when you called Hunk all like ‘it just isn’t possible!’ and I saw you looking over at his old desk every ten seconds when you were supposed to be doing your reports. Not to mention I heard from Pidge that you went over to the ninth division as soon as you were done.” 

“That was not planned! It was unintentional, I was tired and I pressed the wrong button in the elevator and-” 

“Oh Lance,” Shiro laughed, shaking his head. “When you are tired and not thinking then you act based on what’s truly in your heart. You were worried about him, admit it.” 

“Shiro, I have literally no reason to worry about him.” 

“Loving him is plenty of reason to worry about him.” 

“But I shouldn’t! I shouldn’t love him anymore, okay! He- he was cruel, and mean, and he deliberately hurt me, and a relationship like that is no good!” 

“I suppose you’re right. A relationship like that is no good. But, maybe it’s just the fact that I’ve raised him and am reluctant to see him in a negative light talking, but I really think the two of you could still work things out. I know that a lot of what went wrong between you had to do with miscommunication, and I think that if you did try and communicate, you could be good for each other again. But that’s up to you. If you decide he isn’t worth it, then don’t try. And if you do try, but he doesn’t meet you halfway and things go sour again, come to me. I believe in second chances, but not third ones, and if he messes up a second time I will personally beat the living daylights out of him.” 

“I don’t know, Shiro. I want to give him another chance, but what’s that thing that Hunk sometimes says? Once bitten, twice shy? Well, it’s like that. He hurt me once, what’s to stop him from doing it again?” 

“It’s precisely because he hurt you that he won’t do it again. He was wrong, and he knows that now, and he knows that you suffered from it. Just as you’ll be more hesitant to trust him as a result, he’ll be more hesitant to get angry with you over it. And like I said, if he hurts you again, I’ll make him regret it. And not just me. Our whole division, and the Holts too.” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“Whatever you decide, I’ll respect it. You know what being in a relationship with Keith was like, while the rest of us don’t. It could be that there are things we don’t know that can salvage your relationship, but there could also be things we don’t know that can condemn it. You’re the only one who can say for certain, and I know that, so I will back you up no matter what.” 

“Thanks, Shiro.” 

“Of course.” 

* * *

Not surprisingly, Kolivan didn’t waste any time in lecturing Keith once the meeting was over. As soon as Lotor had stepped away from the lectern, Kolivan had clamped a hand onto Keith’s shoulder and kept it there the whole way back to the division office, practically dragging Keith down the hall as he steered him to a place where he could lay into him. What was surprising was that Kolivan seemed to be yelling at Keith more for worrying them than for, y’know, going AWOL. 

“So,” Keith said carefully when the tirade was done, “am I fired?” 

“No,” Kolivan said. “I did consider it, but someone made a passionate plea for granting you clemency in this instance.” 

A passionate plea? Who would do that for Keith? The only person who Keith knew that the word “passionate” fit was Lance, and there’s no way he’d stand up for Keith now. Kolivan dismissed Keith, and he left slowly, still trying to puzzle things out. He headed back to his room, figuring he’d get some actual rest since he hadn’t done more than doze in the pitfall. Something about being stuck down there, and the fact that the only people who knew he was there were people he wasn’t sure he could trust. Sure, he should be able to trust an inspector, but did he? Not necessarily. And especially not when that inspector was Lotor. Something about that guy just rubbed Keith the wrong way, and no, it was not just the wink. Sure, that was a part of it, but there was more than just that. 

He was almost back to his room when he overheard voices. He would have ignored them, except then he heard his name. And maybe eavesdropping was wrong, but how was he supposed to keep walking when people were talking about him? His ear was already pressed to the door when he realized that they were probably just discussing what a nuisance he was, but by then it was already too late. 

“...that worried about him, why don’t you talk to him, Kourtney?” a voice said. Keith was good at identifying voices, and he was certain that was Ulaz. 

“Oh, right, like that would go over well. You might not have noticed, Ulrich, but Keith’s not exactly open to new people. If I went up and started talking to him, he’d probably react badly.” The second speaker was female. Definitely Krolia. 

“Well, maybe you should start out by asking how his father’s doing,” a third voice suggested. Thace. 

“Theo, I’m pretty sure Keith doesn’t have a clue who I am,” Krolia replied. “And if I bring up Kenji, he’s going to want to know how I knew him, and it’s not going to be too hard for him to piece things together and figure out that I’m his mother, and then what?” 

Keith’s mind was reeling. His knees went weak, and he almost fell over, but the rest of his muscles had gone rigid and kept him frozen solid, unable to move or make a sound. Krolia? His mom? He supposed it was possible, but… 

All Keith’s dad had ever told him about his mom was that she’d been flagged for a clouded psycho-pass while pregnant with him, and as a result he’d been born in a therapy center. Shortly after he was born, it was determined that therapy was failing and his mom was labelled a latent criminal and transferred to a detention center. Keith’s dad hadn’t wanted to say more than that- probably because the pain of losing her was still too great- and Keith had never asked since his childhood self had felt no curiosity towards a mom who had been deemed unworthy by Sybil. 

Keith almost missed the next words in his stupor. 

“I still don’t see why you haven’t brought it up before,” Ulaz said. 

“Well at first I assumed he just didn’t want anything to do with me,” Krolia replied. “I mean, why would he? Until he transferred to our division, I’d spent less than ten minutes in the same room as him. He was born at 5:36 in the morning and they took him to an infant care facility at 5:42.” 

“Who the hell takes a baby from his mother 6 minutes after he was born?” That was Antok’s voice. Geez, did everyone in the division know about this except him? 

“He was born prematurely, Antoine, they had to take him. But I will admit that was probably one of the things that led to me being a latent criminal. Anyway, as I was saying, I initially assumed he didn’t want to have anything to do with me. But since he didn’t have any additional hostility towards me, I wasn’t sure, and then I heard Regis asking him about family one time, and he just said he never knew anything about his mom other than that she was a latent criminal, so I realized Kenji must not have told him. But by then he’d already been with us almost a week, and it seemed a bit odd to come out and say ‘hey, I guess we haven’t really talked yet, but surprise, I’m your mom’.” Krolia was silent a moment, then added, “And also I suppose I’m a little nervous. I mean, he’s already a grown man. He doesn’t need a mom. There’s nothing I can do for him, nothing he would gain by knowing. And I don’t even know anything about him. If I told him now, it’d just be this awkward thing hanging between us so long as we work together. It’s better to not say anything.” 

“So you’re just going to keep worrying in private like this then?” Thace asked. 

“It’s no different than what I’ve been doing all along,” Krolia replied. “Every day for the past 23 years I’ve been worrying about that kid and his father, hoping they’re happy, that they’re eating well, that their hues stay nice and clear…” 

“I don’t think that last one is exactly a concern anymore, given that he’s already an enforcer,” Ulaz said drily. 

“No, it’s still a concern,” Thace said. “Especially in his case. His hue checks… They’re pretty worrisome. Based on his record, I expected him to come back, but because of his recent hue checks, when he didn’t report in and we couldn’t contact him, I actually did think he’d gone AWOL. And Kolivan agreed. I just wish there was some way to help him, but he won’t let anyone get close. At the rate things are going, Kogane might not be able to continue working as an enforcer.” 

_Tell me something I don’t already know,_ Keith grumbled in his thoughts. He’d heard enough. He silently slipped away, retreating to the room that was his but also wasn’t. It was where he lived now, but it felt empty. It didn’t have any less personal effects than his old room- if anything it had more since he’d been given a mug as a welcome gift by the ninth division- but it was still missing things. Smells mostly. Lance’s cologne lingering in the air, something Hunk was baking wafting down the hallway, the musky odor emanating from the bits of cat fur that got on Keith’s clothes whenever he visited Shiro. None of that was present in this room that didn’t feel like it was really his. 

Keith lay on the bed to get some rest, but the conversation he’d just heard echoed in his head. So he had a mom. Well, obviously he had a mom, everyone had a mom, but up until now she’d been no more than a vague sense of a word and the knowledge that some woman had given birth to him once. She was as lost to him as his dad- alive but unreachable. Now she had a name and a face and was so close it was almost suffocating. He wanted to go to Shiro, demand to know if he’d known, ask him what to do, but he couldn’t do that because Shiro wasn’t talking to him. Besides, it was probably high time he learned how to deal with his problems on his own. 

Whatever. Keith needed to sleep. No one had a clear hue when overtired, and as Thace had pointed out, his hue was already far too cloudy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if Keith discovering Krolia's his mom came out of nowhere. I tried to foreshadow that but they don't really interact so... yeah. I probably should have just taken it out.  
> In other news, my dog did not want me to post this chapter. She kept sticking her head on my keyboard and licking my hand to demand scratches.


	13. Chapter 13

In the days after Lotor’s meeting, very little changed. Tiring themselves out was risky, but they still couldn’t afford to let anything slide. Any one person with a clouded hue could set off a chain of events that caused the psycho-passes of everyone around to rise, and so they had to capture anyone who might do that before they could, even if it meant stretching themselves thin. Keith did his best to behave and tried to spend some time in the gym since that was how he destressed, but since spare time was in short supply, he doubted his hue was clearing up at all. He was being pessimistic, he knew, and everyone said that pessimism wasn’t good for one’s hue, but how else was he supposed to feel when he was dancing on the edge and on the verge of falling? 

The ninth division was as busy as ever. Keith was out with Regris, Thace, and Ulaz today, and they’d been bouncing from one job to the next. As they got in the car after catching someone who’d stolen a wallet, the four men all let out heavy sighs. 

“Holts, you could really make my day if you told me there’s nothing going on right now,” Thace said into the comms. He sounded tired, and in that moment he looked beaten, and Keith realized that as bad as it was for enforcers, it must be even worse for inspectors. They had longer reports to write, plus they didn’t live at HQ and had to go home at the end of the day, and also they had to be a lot more careful about their psycho-passes than enforcers did. 

“I’d really love to, you know I would,” Matt sighed over the speakers in the car. “But unfortunately, I can’t. There was a small explosion in a park two blocks from where you guys are. A team already got there and ascertained that no one was hurt, but they had to put the place under quarantine because the area stress went up, and they need some help sorting people out.” 

“Right,” Thace croaked. “We’re on it.” 

“I’d offer to drive so you can nap,” Antok said, “but that’s not allowed.” 

“He said it’s only a couple blocks away,” Thace replied dully. “By the time I fell asleep we’d already be there.” 

“I’m sure we could come up with a scenic route to take,” Regris said mildly. “Though I suppose that’s exactly why we’re not allowed to drive.” 

“Well Regris, you’re also not allowed to drive because you never learned how to,” Antok pointed out. 

“Yeah, but how hard can it be?” Regris asked. “The car does most of the work for you.” 

“Spoken like someone who has never driven,” Antok said, shaking his head. 

“Interesting,” Regris mused. “Perhaps I should find a moment to commandeer a vehicle and have Keith teach me to drive just to prove you wrong.” 

“As fun as that sounds, how about no,” Keith replied. “I’d rather not get lectured by Kolivan again.” 

“Good luck with that,” Antok snorted. “Lectures are his specialty.” 

“Antoine, that’s disrespectful,” Thace chided. “And Regis, you may not go on any carjacking expeditions. Keith, you are wise not to go along with his foolishness. Now look alive, boys, because we’re already here.” 

The car pulled up outside a grassy area surrounding a fountain. The area was cordoned off by holographic police tape, and a conglomeration of people was waiting inside. When Keith looked closely, he could see bits of smoke drifting up from just beyond the fountain. 

The four men got out of the car, and Keith had just closed the door behind himself when he spotted the team of MWPSB employees who were already there. He froze, because the enforcers were Rolo and Nyma, and the inspector was none other than Lance. 

Keith wondered if Matt had made a mistake since he was tired. Maybe he had forgotten Keith was with Thace today. Or maybe he’d meant to call someone else to this scene. Or maybe he’d forgotten it was Lance who was leading the group that was already on sight. Whatever the case, Keith had a bad feeling that his presence would _not_ go over well. 

The rest of Keith’s team moved forward, weaving through the crowd to meet up with Lance and his team, and Keith had no choice but to follow. He couldn’t really tell Thace “No, we can’t take this one, we need to leave and let some other group act as backup because my ex over there probably hates my guts,” so that meant he had to suck it up and deal. He was pretty sure Lance could act professionally, so Keith would too. Hopefully Rolo and Nyma would do the same, though with Nyma that was really expecting a lot. 

Lance spotted their little group when they were still a few feet away, and he looked ready to cry with relief. Keith hoped it was just Lance’s sense of dramatics causing that expression and not actual desperation. Lance surged forward to meet them, actually stopping to hug Thace. 

“Oh thank god you guys are here,” Lance said in a whoosh. “We’ve had two more minor explosions since we called for backup, more noise than anything else, but everyone’s freaking out and so they keep forgetting instructions. I’ve told them at least five times to line up so we can check their hues and determine if they’re okay to leave, but I’m pretty sure there’s some troublemakers mixed in who are encouraging extra panic because every time they form a line people will suddenly start running away screaming and there’s just no way we can handle it with just three people.” 

“Perhaps we should have the Holts try and take over the park’s PA system to broadcast some calming music,” Thace suggested. “Since from the sound of things, everyone here is likely to need a little therapy.” 

“See, I thought of that after the second explosion, but the speakers aren’t working. We sent a Beezer to check, and it seems someone’s cut the wiring. Whether they just wanted to keep us from using the system or if they’ve got something more sinister in mind, I can’t say for sure, but either way, the best we can do for now is have the Beezers that are with us play music for us.” 

“How many do you have?” 

“Only eight. We’ve got four roaming around, two at the checkpoint we’ve set up to check on everyone’s psycho-passes, and the last two are in the waiting area for people who are confirmed to be at risk.” 

“Seems like you’ve got a good setup then. If you have everyone line up again, my team can patrol the line and look for any signs of rabble-rousers. Would you like your enforcers to join the effort or stay with you and help you check hues?” 

“Actually, if you can check hues, I’d like to join in on the patrols. You can choose whoever to help you at the checkpoint.” 

“In that case, Regris, Kogane, you two help with patrolling the line. Antok, you’re with me.” 

Thace and Antok headed over to the checkpoint where Rolo and Nyma were. As they left earshot, Lance murmured, “I would have had him patrolling the line, personally.” 

“Actually,” Regris said, speaking up, “Thace’s decision makes a lot of sense based on our personalities. Antok is easily intimidated by large groups, and should there be a rush in the line, he may panic. However, at the checkpoint, that is much less likely to happen, and also Antok has a way of using his size to be reassuring when he wants to. He can also be intimidating, of course, which I assume is why you would have him patrolling the line- to deter troublemakers, but for that very reason it is best he remain at the checkpoint where he can make people think twice about running should their hues be clouded.” 

Lance didn’t look convinced, but he refrained from saying anything. Thace released Rolo and Nyma from the checkpoint, then used a Beezer to request the crowd once again line up for psycho-pass checks. As the crowd complied, the enforcers and Lance headed off to space themselves along the forming line so that they could take note of what people were up to. 

Regris took the section of line closest to the checkpoint, and Keith figured he should be the next to split off, just to keep things from being awkward. Also, thus far Rolo, Nyma, and Lance had all been ignoring him, but he wasn’t sure how long that would last before they decided they’d tolerated enough of his presence and turned on him. So when he felt they’d gone far enough down the line that he could justifiably break off from the group, he did, following at a slower pace as he began to patrol. He was still only a few steps behind when someone he’d just passed said in a loud voice, “Oh. My. God. Stormcloud McClain? Is that you?” 

Ahead of Keith, Lance froze, though Keith almost didn’t notice since he was already rounding on the speaker. Or speakers, since the person next to them was replying, “Wait, are you serious? Someone arrest him quick, he’s probably behind all this.” 

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Keith snarled at the two loud-mouthed women. They quivered in front of him. 

“W-what’s it to you?” the second woman quavered. 

Keith produced his enforcer’s badge with a flick of his wrist, relishing the moment as he said in his sweetest tone, “I’m with the MWPSB, and I’d like to know who’s making baseless accusations against one of our inspectors.” 

“Wait, you work with him?” the first woman gasped. “And you haven’t even noticed how the psycho-passes of those around him are always higher?” 

“Or how he purposely annoys people just so he can keep his own hue clear?” her friend added. 

“We went to school with him, and our class had the highest rate of hue decline since the Sybil system was introduced!” the first continued. “And it was all his fault! Everyone knew it, but the school never did anything about it. He was the only person whose hue didn’t cloud at all throughout that madness, and it’s because he was the one tainting everyone!” 

Keith was stunned. He just didn’t know what to say to that. 

“I know it’s hard to believe, but-” the second woman began. 

“Hard to believe?” Keith asked, finding his voice. “It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” 

The sound of raucous laughter behind him alerted Keith to the fact that he wasn’t the only one who had come to deal with this bullshit. Rolo and Nyma were both there, doubled over with laughter, as well as Lance himself, who was beet red and looking at the ground. 

“You said it Keithy-boy!” Nyma howled. “What kind of idiot would believe that? ‘He purposely annoys people to keep his hue clear’, what nonsense!” 

“What are you gonna say next?” Rolo asked, still laughing. “That he takes his crime coefficient and subtracts some of it to add to someone else’s?” 

“Guys, knock it off,” Lance muttered through gritted teeth. 

“Rolo, don’t give them ideas, their feeble minds might actually latch onto them,” Keith said, trying not to laugh as well. The two women began gasping like a pair of fish out of water, and Keith rounded on them again. “For your information,” he spat, getting right up in their faces, “Lance McClain is an MWPSB inspector. You only get the recommendation to become an inspector if you have a clear hue with strong resilience. If anything, your story just proves that he was the right guy for the job, if he had to listen to that kind of bullshit from you harpies all through school. Furthermore, since he joined the MWPSB, everyone in his division has noticed a drop in their psycho-passes, as well as greater stability. So really, he’s the opposite of what you said. He doesn’t taint people, he helps them become clearer!” 

Behind him, Rolo and Nyma began to applaud. A few people standing nearby even joined in. 

“Y-you’re probably helping him taint people, aren’t you?” the first woman accused. “That must be it! You’re trying to taint us right this instant! How could you be so selfish as to ruin us so that you can be clear.” 

Keith laughed harshly. A hand gently shoved him aside, and Nyma stepped forward. 

“Okeydokey there. One: what Keith failed to mention is that one of the reasons Inspectors need such resilient hues is that they work with enforcers like us. We’re latent criminals, bitches, so being clear was never a concern for us. Two: we’re not so much trying to taint you as we are giving you a taste of your own medicine. So drink up, babydolls, and remember how this feels the next time you want to spread your poison. And three: selfish? You have the boobs to talk about being selfish? Ha! The only people selfishly trying to taint others here are you two. You just can’t stand that your hues aren’t clear, and so you blame it on others and try and drag them down with you just because you can’t act maturely and own up to the fact that it’s your shitty attitudes that are tainting your hues!” 

Keith was about to cheer, but a loud voice shouted over anything he might have said. 

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Lance yelled. “Rolo Smith, Nyma Bell, Keith Kogane, all three of you desist immediately! You are out of line and are being a public menace.” 

“They started it,” Nyma muttered sulkily. 

“I don’t care!” Lance shouted. “We’re here to protect these people from being tainted, and yet your three are being the biggest threat to their hues! If you want to keep your jobs, then you need to stop already!” 

“Ha!” guffawed woman #2. 

“Oh sure, put on a big show to make yourself look like the good guy, Stormcloud. But you can’t fool me,” sneered the instigator. 

“Well then, since you’re so concerned about your psycho-passes, why don’t we check them right here and now,” Lance suggested. “With our Dominators, it’ll be a real fast process. Of course, if your hues are above regulation levels, then we won’t hesitate to use the paralyzer function, whereas if you stay in line you’ll be given the option to peacefully relocate to a therapy center. Your choice.” 

The two women looked alarmed as Lance showed them just what he’d be checking their psycho-passes with. They both shook their heads nervously. 

“I see. Very well, we’ll be going now, since we have work to do. Thank you for your cooperation, ladies. Have a good day.” Keith wanted to applaud Lance for managing such an icy tone while still being perfectly cordial. Some of the people nearby really did applaud him for it. 

Keith began to continue his patrol, but he hadn’t gotten far when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. 

“Hey, uh, thanks,” Lance said. 

“Yeah, o-of course,” Keith stammered. “Though, uh, should you really be thanking me for that? As you said, we were kinda out of line.” 

“You were. Especially since they were right, and-” 

“Excuse me? Lance, how was any of that right? You would never taint anyone’s hue. Ever. You fucking walked into a room full of hostages and got them all out alive and well. All of them recovered, and that was thanks to you. They’re completely wrong!” 

“And what about you?” 

“What do you mean, what about me? Do you mean your affect on my hue, because once you showed up it got a lot clear-” 

“You think I’m annoying too. Your last hue checks before your transfer were really bad, isn’t it because I annoy you?” 

“Um, not sure where you got the idea that I think you’re annoying, but-” 

“You said it yourself, Keith. That I always see things how I want to and it’s annoying.” 

“First off, I said a lot of things I didn’t really mean that day. And I’m really sorry for everything I said that day, because it really wasn’t fair, and I owe you a better apology than this but more importantly, while I was annoyed by the way you always see things so conveniently, that’s not the same as being annoyed by you. Everyone has sides to them that are annoying. I find it annoying how Shiro complains about me being dramatic when he’s the one who went on a hunger strike when the cafeteria announced they were gonna stop serving his favorite cereal since it was too sugary. But overall Shiro’s great, it’s just little things that annoy me about him. Same with you. You ignore details that might be difficult, and that annoys me, but overall, you’re just such an amazing person, and the idea that you would annoy someone to the point that their hue got clouded because of it is just ridiculous. And as I was saying, my last few hue checks were terrible because I felt like shit for yelling at you when you don’t deserve it and because it was all my fault we were fighting to begin with, and yes it had everything to do with you but it was not _because_ of you, so please don’t ever think that, Lance.” 

“I- wha- wait, Shiro really went on a hunger strike over cereal?” 

“Yup. The man’s a child in an adult’s body, I swear.” 

“Huh. Somehow, that’s totally believable while also being extremely incredible. But anyway, I jus- I- you mean you’re not still mad at me?” 

“Hunk straightened things out the same day I snapped at you. And I’m so sorry Lance. I really wish I’d accepted those cookies. I- I threw them out, and he said you made them just for me, and- and I bet they would have tasted amazing.” 

“Then why did you transfer? I thought you just didn’t want anything to do with me!” 

“I-” Oh shit. What was Keith supposed to say if Lance didn’t know Hunk was the one who had transferred him? Did he say as much and get Hunk in trouble with Lance? Or did he lie to protect their friendship? And if he lied, what lie should he tell? “I- Hunk and I felt that it would be for the best if I- we- you and me that is- had some time apart to… to try and put ourselves back together. Since I’d kinda made it clear that I was… not exactly helping anything between us.” 

“I… see. So Hunk transferred you.” 

“Can you really blame him?” Keith asked, desperate to keep Lance from getting angry at someone who had really been trying to look out for Lance. “I mean, I yelled at you, I was cruel to you when you really didn’t deserve it, I hurt you and made you cry, I- if I were Hunk, I would have done the same thing. Actually, no, I would have straight up fired my ass for doing that to you.” 

“Yeah, well, good intentions or not, it made things hurt even worse,” Lance replied, his voice suddenly void of emotions. “Anyway, we need to get back to work. I’ll leave you to your patrols.” Lance walked off, leaving Keith with so much more to say but no words to say it all with. 

No he had the words. He just was too scared to voice them. 

_I love you._

_More than anything, Lance McClain._

_You are my sun and my moon and my stars, my entire fucking world._

_I love you, and I will never forgive myself for hurting you._

* * *

Lance’s back hit the ground hard and he felt the air leave him in an uncontrolled rush. He lifted his arms to cross his face, keeping the battle bot from knocking him unconscious with a punch. He threw his hips up, wrapping his legs around the battle bot and trying to drag it down towards him so that it wouldn’t be able to punch. He succeeded in this endeavor, but when he tried to flip their positions, he failed. He struggled underneath the battle bot, unable to leave the stalemate they were in. 

“You’re never going to beat it on that difficulty setting,” Shinya said from somewhere near the door. 

“It’s not… about… winning,” Lance panted, still trying to gain the upper hand. The battle bot, apparently sensing that it wasn’t going to gain anything by staying where it was, surged upright and yanked Lance’s legs off of itself, lifting him by them to toss him like a rag doll. Lance managed half a scream before strong arms caught him. He let the scream die in his throat, and croaked out a thank you. 

“Besides,” Lance added as the battle bot took on a defensive stance, “most opponents are gonna be better at hand-to-hand than me, so isn’t it good practice to fight at a level where I’m hopelessly outmatched?” 

“Not unless you want to end up in the hospital,” Shinya said. “At that level, it doesn’t pull any punches, and doesn’t stop unless something breaks.” The battle bot chose to attack, and Shinya tossed Lance aside, rushing forward to meet the battle bot and beat it into submission. 

Lance sighed as he got to his feet and watched the fight. He supposed Shinya was right, but the point of fighting the battle bot today really hadn’t been about winning. It had been about working his muscles into an ache that would last for days, and letting the battle bot beat up all the emotions that were trying to flood Lance anew. 

All because of Keith. 

Keith. 

Keith who wasn’t mad at Lance. Keith who hadn’t chosen to transfer away. Keith who had apologized, and did Lance forgive him? Lance still wasn’t sure. Except he was starting to think that he’d already forgiven Keith long ago and just hadn’t realized it. In fact, he’d never gotten mad at Keith. How could he be mad, when Keith was right about so many things? Sure, he’d been wrong when he’d thought Lance was cheating, but everything else he’d said had been right, hadn’t it? So how could Lance get mad at that? Some truths hurt, but they still had to be faced. 

Except Keith had claimed what he’d said was wrong? 

Lance was really confused. Hence his going a round with the battle bot set to maximum difficulty. 

One thing was for sure, as Lance watched Shinya take down the battle bot, he couldn’t help but think for a second that it was Keith standing there instead. Their fighting styles were different, with Shinya using a lot more brute force than Keith ever did, and Shinya was taller and had a broader build and his hair was shorter than Keith’s, but how many times had Lance watched Keith fend off that same robot? How many times had Lance stood by as Keith worked out, cheering for every successful hit and gasping every time Keith’s defenses failed, and as soon as Keith was done then Lance would jump him, and Keith would shake him off and they’d kiss and it was like a ritual between the two of them. 

Lance wanted that back. Maybe he was an idiot for still loving Keith, but damn him, he did. And he was tempted to rush over to the ninth division and find Keith just to tell him that, and who cared who saw him or if they got curious and started to ask questions? But no, he couldn’t do that. If he was too reckless, then when this case finished up and Shinya was surrendered to the capital for them to decide what to do with, Keith might not be transferred back to the seventh division. 

Wait. 

Keith _was_ going to be transferred back, right? 

Shit, Lance had better check with Hunk. 

Lance was halfway to the door as Shinya finished up his fight with the battle bot. 

“Had enough?” Shinya asked, and Lance realized Shinya had probably been expecting Lance to want another fighting lesson. 

“Yeah, I think so. Plus there’s something I need to check with Hunk on. Unless he’s gone to sleep already… Crap. But, yeah, gotta go.” 

“Later,” Shinya called, and Lance scurried off. He went to the spare enforcer’s rooms, where both Lance and Hunk had taken to sleeping rather than take the extra time to go home. He found the room that Hunk had taken over and pounded on the door, not caring if he was being rude. He needed to know, danggit. 

Hunk answered the door blearily. 

“What is it Lance, I was just about to go to-” 

“Hunk! What happens when Shinya leaves?” 

“He goes to the capital and-” 

“No! I mean, who’s going to be our fourth enforcer?” 

“Oh.” Hunk suddenly looked a lot more awake. “W-well, that kinda depends on-” 

“When you transferred Keith, it was just temporary, right?” 

“Oh. Then you’re okay with him coming back?” 

“Yeah, I’m- As long as Keith’s okay with it, and maybe I’m being overly-optimistic but I think he might be? But so long as he’s okay with it, I’d like it if he came back. Please.” 

“Good. That’s kinda what I was banking on. Like, I figured you wouldn’t be quite so eager, but I thought you’d get over him enough to be professional and deal with him being there and all. Like, if you weren’t, I was gonna try and negotiate so Kolivan would send us one of his other enforcers, but we had a good dynamic with Keith, and he’s got a good dynamic in his division as well, so why screw up two teams unless you really have to, right?” 

“Right. Thanks Hunk. For having my back that time, and just… thanks. You’re the best. And sorry for bothering you, I’ll let you sleep now. You deserve it big guy.” 

“Hug?” 

“Sure thing.” Lance let himself fall into the offered hug. After Hunk released him, he felt himself yawning. “Anyway, I should shower and then get some sleep myself, so good night.” 

“Good night, Lance,” Hunk replied. 

Lance would keep his feelings in check for now. But as soon as Keith was back, the two of them would talk. And if Keith would let him, Lance was going to love that boy until the end of time. 

* * *

Lance had not slept well. Not that him not sleeping well was news anymore. He couldn’t even video call his parents anymore; the last time he had, his mom had gotten worried that he wasn’t getting enough sleep and had kept him on the phone all the longer for it, telling him all the things he should eat for extra energy during the day and all the things he should use to help him sleep, and a week later a package had arrived at his doorstep filled with potpourri and a playlist of ambient noises the likes of which only existed on recordings anymore and herbal teas and dried fruits and a bag of ginger cookies. His mom worried too much. 

So here Lance was, up bright and early despite the fact that he really needed to sleep longer to catch up on some of the rest he’d been missing, and staring moodily at the coffee maker in the office as it slowly dripped out a pot of life. 

“Inspector McClain?” a female voice asked. 

“Not now,” Lance said, willing the coffee to brew faster with the intensity of his gaze. As if to spite him, the flow of bean juice seemed to ebb. 

“Um, but it’s kinda urgent?” 

“More urgent than revitalization? I think not.” 

“No, really. It’s like, super urgent. Like you need to hear this now. If not sooner.” 

“I suffer from voluntary deafness until I have had caffeine, so I suggest you find some other unfortunate, and preferably more awake soul to bother.” 

“I can’t find Inspector Garrett and I really need to talk to an inspector of the seventh division about this, so sorry, but I gotta talk to you about it.” 

“Oh for crying out loud!” Lance yowled, turning around angrily. “What?! Spit it out already! What is so goddamn important that it couldn’t wait until I actually feel human?!?” 

The woman standing a few feet away, just inside the office doorway, cringed. She was one of the tenth division enforcers, though Lance couldn’t remember her name. The skinny one. 

“Er, sorry. But Acxa can only buy us so much time, and you guys really need to know this.” 

“Know. What.” Lance seethed. 

“That you can’t trust Lotor. He’s not actually on your side.” 

“I beg your pardon,” Lance growled. 

“Lotor’s… he’s the one behind everything. Sure, Zarkon did escape and he is planning to kill off the people behind his arrest the first chance he gets, but Lotor’s the one behind the recent crime wave. He also messed with some of the city’s scanners so that people with clouded hues can move more freely, and his plan to protect the officials Zarkon wants dead isn’t actually meant to keep them alive, it’s meant to make sure Zarkon and his allies get killed but so do as many members of the MWPSB as possible. Lotor’s set everyone up to fail except for himself.” 

“And just why would he do that?” 

“I- I don’t know. Acxa thinks he wants to take over the city. She thinks he wants to free the city from Sybil’s control and create his own little state where he controls all. He’ll become Sybil, only instead of judging people based on their likelihood of committing a crime he’ll judge them based on whether or not he can use them. I told her even Lotor’s not that crazy, but maybe he is.” 

“So you expect me to believe, that an inspector of the MWPSB, who was hired for his clear hue and hue resilience, is bat-shit crazy? Crazy people don’t have clear hues.” 

“They do when they’re criminally asymptomatic.” 

“You think Lotor is criminally asymptomatic? I definitely needed to have coffee before this conversation, because clearly I’m mishearing things.” 

“Well why can’t he be? If he’s criminally asymptomatic, of course he would demonstrate a clear hue with high resilience. It would be easy for him to become an inspector. But we can prove the thing about the scanners, we can give you a list and-” 

“The Holts already have a list of the tampered scanners. They’d probably also have a way to fix them already if we weren’t so busy.” 

“Wait, you guys knew about the scanners? Then you have to believe me!” 

“I don’t have to believe anything.” Though if Lance was being honest, he did believe her. Kogami had joined the case because he believed that such a thing was only possible if someone criminally asymptomatic was pulling the strings, and Zarkon most definitely wasn’t asymptomatic. But Lotor had what seemed like the perfect alibi. He was an inspector, so they would trust him. He was Zarkon’s son, so it was plausible that he could obtain his information without being guilty. And the plan Lotor had insisted on had been risky. Lotor had justified the risks with various excuses, but they only had his word for some of the things he claimed necessitated the risks involved in his plan. 

“Okay, you don’t have to believe me,” the enforcer huffed. “But it would be for your own good if you did.” 

“What might convince me is if you tell me where you fit into all this,” Lance said, mostly out of curiosity. The enforcer made a face. 

“That’s… all of us enforcers in the tenth division, we all have our stories. Lots of misfortune until we ended up becoming latent criminals. But it just so happened that our misfortunes were all manufactured by Lotor himself. He chose us to be his enforcers even before we were latent criminals. We can’t go against him because he’s an inspector and we’re enforcers and he can shoot us with a Dominator the moment we do anything he doesn’t like. Just the other day he shot Narti with a paralyzer because she adopted a stray cat and he doesn’t like cats. Even with four of us and only one of him… our odds aren’t good. So we have to obey him, but none of us are happy about it. He’s a dangerous man, inspector. Someone has to stop him.” 

“So, why come to our division?” 

“Not just your division. Zethrid went to talk to the eighth and Narti went to the ninth. The hope was that at least one inspector would believe us, but it seems I’ve struck out, so I guess I’d better bet on the other two.” 

“Who says you struck out?” 

“Uh, you did?” 

“No, I said I didn’t have to believe you. Not that I don’t.” 

“Oh. Well that’s good I guess. Anyway, I don’t have much time, so I should really be going. So, uh, have a nice day and all that. Enjoy your coffee.” 

The enforcer waved and left, and Lance turned back to the coffee pot. Almost done brewing, almost… 

“Excuse me,” a crisp pleasant voice said. Lance let out a howl of annoyance as he turned to face the newcomer. 

“Why can’t people let me come back to life in PEACE?!” Lance yelled. 

The three people in the doorway looked alarmed. The first was a beautiful woman, caramel skin and hair so white it seemed to sparkle. Tall, and with an air of refinement. On her right was a short woman with bluntly-cut hair. On the left was a man who wore gloves and had his hair hanging in his face. All three had steely eyes that said that they’d seen some serious shit, and even in their alarm at Lance’s response, they were still fairly calm. 

The coffee maker dinged and Lance whipped back around to see it was finished. 

“Finally!” he breathed, and poured himself a mug and added his cream and sugar. He stirred it and then turned back to the new arrivals, sipping as he faced them. He let out a happy “ahhhhh” as the caffeine began to work it’s magic on him. 

“So,” he said, putting on the best smile he could muster at the moment, “who the hell are you lot?” 

“I beg your pardon?” the tall woman asked in that crisp voice. 

“I mean, this floor is off-limits to civilians, and I know you’re not employees here so what the hell are you doing in our office?” 

“I was asked to come here,” the woman said, her spine stiffening as she drew herself up even taller. “My name is Allura Altea. And who, might I ask, are you?” 

You could have heard a pin drop. Lance stood there gaping a moment, and his coffee mug almost slipped from his suddenly numb hands. 

“A-Allura Altea? Oh, shit. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were-” 

“Well now you do. And I believe I asked for an introduction?” 

“Er- Lance McClain. Nice to meet you.” 

Allura’s left eyebrow shot up. 

“Pleasure,” she said tightly, extending a hand. Lance felt himself blushing crimson as he shook it. Here was his predecessor, now an up-and-coming government official, and the first impression he was giving her was that of a bear that had just come out of hibernation. Nice. 

_Yeah, real smooth, McClain. Nice going. Why don’t you just put up a sign that says “I’m a complete jackass, as well as incompetent!”_

_Shut up me. Keith said I was the right man for the job._

_Yeah, and he also said you’re annoying._

_He said that a certain aspect of my personality was annoying! It’s different!_

_Is it really?_

_God, you never shut up, do you?_

Lance’s internal conversations were sometimes less than productive. This was one of those times. 

“A-anyway,” Lance stammered aloud, “why don’t I take you to Hunk? I was actually about to go and find him anyway, since uh, there was a, uh, something I needed to talk to him about.” 

Allura and her companions all looked less convinced that Lance had something to talk to Hunk about, and more convinced that he was trying to escape the awkwardness of the moment. Why couldn’t it be both? 

He slipped past the trio to lead the way out of the room, sipping his coffee as he went. At least since it was such an ungodly hour he could pretty much guarantee Hunk was still in bed, since Hunk actually had decent sleeping habits. Though he felt bad about disturbing Hunk since the man’s preferred sleeping attire was like something out of the 19th century, with a long shirt that went to his knees and a stocking cap and socks, all a matching shade of yellow. It was cute, but not exactly the kind of thing you wanted to be greeting people with. 

They reached Hunk’s door and Lance knocked with sharp raps. 

“Isn’t this the enforcers’ quarters?” Allura asked. 

“Hunk and I have been staying here rather than going home,” Lance explained. “It’s the only way we can theoretically get enough sleep.” 

“Gyoooww, are we seriously overwhelmed with cases that they have to call us in this early?” Hunk whined as he answered the door. He saw Allura standing there and his eyes went wide. “Allura!” he exclaimed, and wrapped her in one of his signature hugs. “Man is it good to see you! Though it kinda sucks that it’s under these circumstances, but- oh hey! I see you’ve already met Lance!” 

“Yes, we ran into each other in the office,” Allura said tightly, and Lance tried not to flinch. 

“Did you try to talk to him before he had his coffee?” Hunk asked sympathetically. 

“In my defense, she wasn’t the first one,” Lance muttered darkly, taking another sip of the sweet nectar of wakefulness. “And I have a thing I need to talk to you about, by the way.” 

“Can it wait until I’m dressed?” Hunk asked. 

“Not really? Like, yeah it’d be good to tell everyone, but I thought I’d run it by you first since it could be one of those things where what I’m thinking might be a little…” 

“Oh. Right. Allura, would you mind waiting a bit while I change and talk to Lance?” 

It was clear from Allura’s expression that she did mind, at least the talking to Lance bit, and really, who could blame her when Lance was being so cagey about things, but Lance wanted to talk about what the enforcer had said with someone who would at least listen before he went ahead and announced to Allura that he was a naive idiot who really should never have been made an inspector. Despite her expression, she graciously inclined her head, allowing Lance to follow Hunk into his room and shut the door. 

Lance explained the situation as quickly as he could; both the things the enforcer had said and also his reasoning in believing her. Hunk listened patiently, dressing himself carefully and transforming from a walking antiquity into a professional young man. When Lance was finished, he sighed heavily. 

“Why do you have to say such outlandish things with such clear logic?” Hunk moaned. “I miss the old days when I never had to realize that things I assumed were concrete truths were wrong.” 

“Er, does that mean you agree that we should believe her?” Lance asked, peering at the dregs of his coffee. 

“Yeah, I think so. I always thought that plan was risky, but with no reason to doubt Lotor’s word, I didn’t see how I could argue against it. But this… it’s like we were trying to do one of those old cube puzzles where you line up the stickers so all the colors are all on different sides, and we couldn’t figure out which way to turn it but now everything is starting to line up.” 

“Okay. So we can go ahead and tell everyone else then.” 

“Yeah. Allura will definitely want to know. Though I can see why you didn’t want to tell her right off the bat.” 

“Yeah, especially not after we got off to such a bad start.” 

“Bad start?” 

“I kinda yelled at them? And then I was really rude asking who they were, and it really wasn’t a good first impression.” 

“Aw, poor Lance. Don’t worry. I’m sure once she sees what you’re really like, Allura will love you.” 

“Hopefully not too much. My heart already belongs to another, after all.” 

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” 

“Ouch.” 

The two of them headed out to where Allura and her two companions were waiting. The two companions seemed mildly amused by everything, while Allura seemed supremely annoyed. 

“Did you two have a nice chat?” she asked with acidic sweetness when Lance and Hunk emerged. 

“I don’t know about nice, but it was definitely worthwhile,” Hunk said, either not picking up on the tartness of Allura’s tone or simply ignoring it for the sake of peace. “We’ll have to get everyone together to discuss it more, but that was gonna have to happen anyway since of course they’ll all want to see you and catch up, since it’s been almost a year and all. You really ought to have come back for a visit much sooner.” 

Allura looked a little guilty, and Lance is in awe of Hunk for making this fearsome woman lose her ferociousness for a few seconds. How is it that Lance can work side by side with this guy all the time and still forget not to underestimate him? 

“Yes, well, it’s been- it’s been busy,” Allura mumbled. “Everytime I started to plan a visit, something always came up, and- and anyway, I haven’t introduced everyone. Hunk, Inspector McClain, this is Akane Tsunemori and Nobuchika Ginoza from division 1 of the MWPSB. They’ve both got very impressive records, and were kind enough to tag along with me to help out with your situation. Though officially they’re just escorting me for safety reasons since you’ve had such an extreme crime rate here in recent times.” 

“My record’s not all that impressive,” Tsunemori laughed uncomfortably. “I’ve only been an inspector for two years, and I did almost get fired a couple months ago.” 

“If your record is less than impressive, than what do you call mine?” Ginoza muttered, more to himself than anyone else. 

“Both of you shush," Allura demanded. "Or have you forgotten that I have access to the unofficial case documents and know the truth about Makishima and Kamui?” 

“Well, I’m pretty sure everyone’s got a better record than me,” Lance said, trying to be friendly. “I mean, I’ve been here less than a year, plus I’ve managed to have some pretty bad fuck-ups. I mean cock-ups. I mean- fuck! I uh, I mess up a lot.” 

“Says the guy who single-handedly de-escalated a hostage situation a couple months ago,” Hunk said under his breath in a way that was meant to be heard by all. 

Lance clapped his hands, deciding it was time to leave this mess of a conversation behind. 

“Right! Weelllllllll, I believe we were gonna call everyone together for a meeting? Sooo how abouts we do that? Sound good?” Lance didn’t even wait for an answer, just started backing away down the hall. “Great! I’ll start waking everybody up. Let’s hope I made enough coffee earlier, because, haha, that coffee maker seems like it takes forever when you’re grumpy after having just gotten up.” The nervous laughter that was bubbling its way into Lance’s speech devolved into a high-pitched giggle. Lance put a hand to his mouth to try and stem it, mortified, and turned and ran for the nearest occupied room- Rolo’s- to knock on the door. He glanced nervously back down the hallway to where everyone was just leaving the doorway of Hunk’s room, and saw Ginoza giving him an amused look. God, he probably seemed like such a weirdo. 

Rolo answered the door and Lance was only too happy to look away from the scene of his complete and utter self-induced destruction. 

“Yo, sorry to wake you up but Allura’s here and we’ve got a division meeting in ten. And can I ask you to do me a solid and be the one to go wake up Nyma?” 

* * *

Lance officially owed Rolo five bowls of home-cooked ramen, but it was worth it not to have to be the one to wake Nyma up. For one, Lance wasn’t sure if Nyma and Matt had progressed enough to be spending nights in each others’ rooms, and he wasn’t too keen on finding out. For two, Nyma was notoriously difficult to wake up, and just as notoriously resentful towards anyone who disturbed her blessed slumber. Lance did not fancy the idea of walking around all day with a broken nose or whatever damage Nyma might do to him, which he was sure would be plenty. So he left the dirty work to Rolo and scampered off to wake up Shiro and Shinya and to call the lab and let Pidge know she should keep a line to the office open so that she could participate in the meeting while also keeping up her lab tech duties. 

Once he’d collected everyone, Lance headed back to the office with Shinya and a sleepwalking Shiro in tow. Shiro had this amazing skill where he could function almost completely normally (minus a little bit of coordination) in his sleep, though whenever he woke up he’d always be extremely confused until someone explained to him what he’d gotten into whilst not awake. It was just more evidence that Shiro was one of the seven wonders of modern Japan, and also the envy of the entire MWPSB. Lance just hoped they could wake Shiro up for real before the meeting started, and without resorting to any drastic measures. 

As the three men walked in, Hunk was talking with Allura and the visitors, but as soon as they saw who had just arrived, they went dead silent. Tsunemori turned a deathly shade of pale that left Lance wishing he hadn’t skipped that last first aid refresher course the bureau had offered. Allura alternated staring at Lance and the enforcers, and staring at Hunk, her jaw agape. Ginoza was the one who finally broke the silence. 

“Inspector, would you like to be the one to slap that idiot, or may I?” 

This seemed to help everyone, because Allura’s jaw snapped shut, and her surprise-widened eyes narrowed, while Tsunemori regained some color. 

“Ginoza-san,” she said reproachfully. 

“What? We both know he deserves it,” Ginoza countered. 

“Nice to see you too, Gino,” Shinya said lightly, walking past Lance to stand before the visitors. “Though what happened to your glasses?” 

Ohhhhh right. Shinya had been assigned to division 1 back when he actually worked for the MWPSB. In other words, these were his old teammates. Well that was awkward. 

“I decided they were a nuisance and got rid of them,” Ginoza replied shortly. 

“About time if you ask me,” Shinya said. “By the way, Akane, you’re looking good.” 

“I’m sure the only reason I’m looking good is because everyone here seems to be so tired that they look half-dead,” Akane replied. She seemed to have a bit of a self-depreciating streak. Lance could relate to that. 

“They’re doing alright,” Shinya said, glancing over towards where Lance was helping Shiro to sit and where Rolo, Nyma, and Matt were all coming through the door. Rolo was limping slightly, but otherwise seemed none the worse for wear after his death-defying encounter. “Considering that it’s been like the mask riots around here for the past month. It’s not as intense as that was, but it’s still far busier than we’re really staffed for.” 

The conversation got no further, as Nyma spotted Allura and stomped past everyone to wrap herself around Allura, and after a moment’s hesitation, Matt followed, sans stomping. 

“Good luck getting those two off you,” Rolo laughed. 

“Allura, Rolo woke me up,” Nyma whined. 

“Lance told me to,” Rolo protested. 

“You know you would have been mad at everyone if we let you sleep in while Allura was here,” Hunk countered reasonably. Nyma stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Sorry, Ny-Ny, but important thing came up,” Lance said. “I promise it was necessary to wake you up. I even checked with Hunk first.” 

“Hmph,” Nyma sniffed. 

“It really is important, so why don’t you two let Allura go,” Hunk said gently. “And we can all have a seat and someone can wake Shiro up and then we can discuss things.” 

Nyma and Matt reluctantly released Allura, who seemed relieved not to have to balance the weight of two people leaning on her. Everyone sat, and Hunk turned to Lance. 

“You’re up,” Hunk said, and Lance remembered that Hunk could be downright merciless at times. Well, that was just one of the things that made him good at his job. 

“Well hold on a tick, shouldn’t we wait for Keith?” Allura asked. 

“Oh. Right. Um, so I kinda had Keith transferred a little bit?” Hunk said, pushing his two forefingers together in his nervous tic. 

“You what?” Allura deadpanned. 

“So he’s temporarily working with the ninth division? Just for the time being? It was-” 

“It’s my fault,” Lance said shifting uncomfortably as Allura’s gaze snapped to him. But as much as he disliked her attention, he couldn’t let Hunk take the fall for him. “Keith and I had a bit of a disagreement, and Hunk judged it best that we had some… time apart. To cool down.” 

“Oh really?” Allura said, and her tone was judgmental. 

“Oh come on Allura,” Matt said, interrupting. “You know what a hothead Keith can be. Had Hunk not intervened, Lance would have sat around trying his best to be professional and continue working as if nothing happened, and Keith would have just gotten even angrier as a result, so this was what was best for everyone.” 

“Exactly!” Hunk said, as if Matt hadn’t just pulled out a massive amount of bullshit to cover everyone’s butts. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. Anyway, Lance?” 

“Oh. Um, right,” Lance stammered, as once again everyone honed in on him. Sure, they weren’t trying to judge him for his perceived mistakes right now, but it was still uncomfortable. “So uh, one of the tenth division enforcers came by a little bit ago…” 

“Which one?” Nyma asked. 

“I don’t know? The skinny one?” 

“Super smiley, super friendly?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Ezor,” Nyma said. There was a weird choral sound to her voice, which Lance realized was Pidge pitching in over the comms at the same time. 

“Not that the others aren’t friendly,” Nyma added. “Just Ezor’s the one who’s friendly on the surface. Acxa comes off as haughty most of the time and Narti is like, super shy, and then Zethrid always makes it seem like she just wants to pummel everything. But they all can be pretty nice.” 

“Yeah,” Pidge chipped in. “Like I was kinda terrified of Zethrid at first, but this one time when the tenth was actually doing some real work, Sendak came in and was giving me crap, calling me a child and stuff and saying I had no place in the lab and then Zethrid was all like ‘Then doesn’t that mean that a mere child is a computer expert while you can’t even use an old-fashioned smartphone?’ and Sendak was all like ‘ _What_ did you say?’ and Zethrid was like ‘I SAID-’” 

“As entertaining as this anecdote is, Pidge, I think we’re getting a little off subject,” Shinya said, interrupting Pidge’s story with a small smile. 

“Oh. Sorry. So what did Ezor want, Lance?” 

“Right. Ummm, well, she said that we really shouldn’t trust Lotor too much. Or really, at all.” 

“Did she give you a reason?” Shiro asked. 

“She gave me multiple,” Lance replied. “But what they all amounted to is that, according to Ezor, the tenth division enforcers believe Lotor to be criminally asymptomatic.” 

“Told you so,” Shinya said to Shiro, who grumbled something about “paying up later”. 

“Wait, you knew?” Rolo asked incredulously. 

“I suspected,” Shinya confirmed. “He claimed that his hue was clear because he had no active participation in things and because he was trying to undermine their efforts, right? But that is still an act of betrayal, which should taint his hue. But his hue was clear. Furthermore, I always thought that someone criminally asymptomatic was pulling the strings, and what Inspector Lotor told us all seemed a little too convenient to me. Everything he did know, and everything he didn’t, it just made me wonder what he was really up to. And it occurred to me that acting as a traitor would be the best way to make us trust him. If he voluntarily came to us with information, we would naturally assume it meant that he was on our side, making it the perfect place for him if he’s the real mastermind behind all this. Zarkon and Haggar are just figureheads. They’re scapegoats set up to fall so Lotor can succeed.” 

“That’s… a lot more than I ever thought of, but I agree that it seems plausible,” Lance said. “I mean, the plan we all agreed upon to counter Zarkon was thought up by Lotor. We all found certain aspects of it to be questionable, but Lotor was the one who insisted there was no other way. But we only have his word that nothing else would work, and there’s just too much that relies on information we have solely from Lotor. There’s other things I find suspicious about him too, like how the tenth division never takes cases, and also don’t you think it’s odd that he waited so long to bring the information to us? It just- it doesn’t feel right to me, and what all Ezor said does.” 

“And Hunk, you believe this?” Allura asked. 

“Yeah, I do,” Hunk said firmly. “As they said, it does seem to add up better if Lotor is the real problem here, and also I’ve learned to trust Lance’s instincts. He may not sense the bad in people like enforcers all seem to, but he does sense the good in them instead. If Lance believes Ezor was telling the truth, then I’m gonna believe it too. Especially if it makes Lance think that Lotor is rotten, since Lance never believes that people are rotten.” 

“Well I’ll believe it,” Ginoza said. “Kou’s always had quite the nose for tracking down evil, even when Sybil itself can’t recognize it.” 

Lance flinched. There it was again. That stupid comparison. 

“Could you please not refer to enforcers as if they were animals?” he asked through gritted teeth. “They’re people too, you know.” 

“Kogami-san was able to corner Shougo Makishima twice,” Tsunemori said. “Three times, if you count the incident with Yuki. He knows how the criminally asymptomatic think. He can predict their movements better than anyone other than they themselves can, so if he believes someone is criminally asymptomatic, I believe him.” 

“And the rest of you?” Allura asked. 

“As Pidge and I said earlier,” Nyma said, “the tenth division enforcers have always been good sorts to us. We run into them a little more often than the rest of you, what with the yearly physicals and shared bathrooms and whatnot, so where the rest of you know pretty much nothing about them, we’ve gotten to see a little bit about them. They’re nice, but there’s always been a sort of… tension to them, particularly in regards to their inspectors. Almost like they’re afraid of them. And like, everyone knows Sendak’s a brute, so I always just assumed it was because of him, but maybe it was both of them.” 

“My position on the matter is no comment,” Rolo said. “I’ll just follow orders, because I don’t know enough to really form an opinion.” 

“Same,” Matt agreed. “Plus, I’m not even an enforcer. I’m just a lab tech. If you want me to form an opinion, let me calculate probabilities first, and then I’ll get back to you. But otherwise, yeah, no comment.” 

“Lotor always has been an odd one,” was all Shiro had to offer. 

“Okay,” Allura said, clapping her hands. “It seems we’re going to have to operate under the assumption that Lotor is our enemy, and reorganize our strategy accordingly. I suppose we’ll have to inform the other divisions…” 

“Actually, Ezor said that two of the other tenth division enforcers went to talk to the eighth and ninth divisions,” Lance said. 

“So they should at least know about this then,” Allura said. “Whether or not they will reach the same conclusions, however, is a different matter. Shiro, can I ask you to try and inquire into what stances the other divisions are taking? You have been around the longest, so you have more sway with the other inspectors, despite your demotion.” 

“Of course, Allura,” Shiro promised. 

“Excellent. Now, let’s start trying to come up with some strategies, keeping in mind that until we hear back from the other divisions we cannot rely on their cooperation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like there should have been a gospel choir hanging around for when Lance and Keith actually talked.  
> Also, my beta ended up starting to ship Kogami/Lance while reading this, but if you ask me the real OTP here should be Lance/coffee.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, Keith's dad has eustress deficiency. For those who haven't watched Psycho-Pass, this is a condition in which a lack of stress factors in one's everyday life gives them such a sense of complacency that they slowly lose touch with the world around them and end up in a vegetative state.

They’d been hit with the worst case of the week, where someone had tampered with the scanners surrounding a concert hall and a group had taken advantage of that fact to bring about a total shitshow inside. Keith had been with Kolivan, Krolia, and Antok as the first group that arrived on the scene, and by the time they finished up, they’d had to call in the rest of the ninth division, as well as Iverson, Leifsdottir, and Rizavi from the eighth. It was a mess, and all any of them wanted when they returned to headquarters was a 

shower and lots of sleep, and maybe a good stiff drink. What they got instead was assaulted by a very desperate Naomi Narti. 

Once they’d managed to calm Narti enough for her to actually talk, the story that spilled from her was… incredible. 

Did Keith believe what she said about Lotor being criminally asymptomatic? He wasn’t sure. He wanted to, partly because his jealous brain which insisted on saying fuck Lotor and his stupid winks at guys who he had no business winking at, and partly because there was a certain bond between enforcers, one where they had to watch each others’ backs because they were the enemies of both the common citizen and latent criminals alike. But at the same time, he had to admit Narti wasn’t the most reliable source. Enforcers lied. Sure, their psycho-passes would be affected when they did, and they could check that, but if Narti really was going behind Lotor’s back to tell them the truth, that too would raise her crime coefficient. So they couldn’t really be sure if she was being honest, and she herself admitted that some of what she was saying was just theories raised amongst herself and the other tenth division enforcers. 

So Keith mostly ignored what Narti said and wrote his report and ate a quick dinner and showered and went to bed. He woke up exhausted and not at all ready for another day, and headed into the office only to find Shiro sitting in one of the chairs as if he belonged there in the ninth division. 

Keith froze when he saw Shiro there, but he didn’t trust himself to get away quietly. That was always his weakness: he could sneak up on a person no problem, but he could never make a quiet getaway. So he entered the office, trying not to seem too stiff. He really wasn’t succeeding. 

“You look like shit,” Shiro said lightly. 

“You don’t look any better,” Keith replied. Not that he’d really observed much in the long seconds he’d stood staring at Shiro in the doorway, but whatever. Keith sat down at his desk and opened up his computer, idly scrolling through the overview of what all had happened the previous day while he and the others were caught up in that mess. 

“I suppose you’ve got me there,” Shiro admitted. Silence stretched out, and Keith found himself unable to focus on what he was reading, his eyes skipping back to the start of the same line in an endless loop while he waited for Shiro to say something, say anything, just goddamn _speak_ already, or was he really just gonna sit there and distract Keith with his very presence- 

“So how have you been lately?” Shiro asked, and Keith couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh. 

“Seriously?” he asked, spinning in his chair to turn and face Shiro. “The last month has been an absolute disaster around here, and you’re asking how I’ve been?” 

Shiro looked mildly embarrassed, but shrugged. 

“Well, yeah,” he said. “I mean, we haven’t talked throughout all this, and it’s probably been stressful for you to try and adjust to your new team, and- I’m worried about you, kiddo.” 

Same old Shiro. He used to do the same thing when they’d lived together. Whenever Shiro got busy because of a long case he’d come track down Keith and gently prod Keith for information until Keith would give in and tell him everything. 

“And you’re just gonna ignore the fact that part of the reason we haven’t talked is because you’ve been mad at me?” Keith’s mouth asked bitterly. Shit. That was not how this conversation should go. He had no right to be acting like the victim here, and if Shiro was talking to him again, the last thing he should be doing was starting another fight, danggit! 

“Yeah, I’ve been mad at you,” Shiro admitted, his eyes darkening a little. “But that doesn’t mean I stopped caring. Maybe you’re old enough now that you’re no longer truly my responsibility, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel like I’ve failed you whenever you’re struggling.” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” 

“I know you didn’t. You rarely ever do. Which is part of why I was so disappointed in you for what happened.” 

“Disappointed? Not pissed?” 

“A little of both.” 

“Can’t really blame you there. How’s he been? Oh, I guess I should answer your question first- I’ve- I’ve been fine. Mostly. Like, it’s really weird, trying to adjust to a new team and all, not to mention I’m just as mad at me as you guys are and it’s- it’s been rough, but I’m managing.” 

“Managing?” Shiro asked, an eyebrow quirked. 

“Yes, managing. I’ve been on my best behavior, for the most part. Aside from not listening to Thace that one time, but like, how was I supposed to know I was gonna end up AWOL for a few hours as a result? That really wasn’t intentional, Shiro!” 

“Alright,” Shiro laughed, and ohhhhhh that fucker had been teasing Keith. 

“You jerk!” Keith yelled, and threw a box of tissues Shiro’s way. “Just because you raised me, you think that means you get to make fun of me?” He tried to seem angry, but he was on the verge of laughing too, and he knew Shiro’d be able to tell. 

“Damn straight I get to tease you,” Shiro laughed, tossing the tissues back more gently. “Don’t you know? That’s the only reason I ever agreed to take you on.” 

Keith gasped in mock affront. 

“How dare you, Takashi Shirogane. Pretending to be a good person when deep down you have such impure motives? You are a terrible, terrible man.” 

The two were still laughing when Kolivan walked in. Kolivan saw the two of them, doubled over and almost in tears, and merely quirked an eyebrow before heading to his desk. 

“Oh!” Shiro said, belatedly noticing the stern inspector’s arrival. “Kolivan! Allura asked me to come talk to you.” 

“Allura’s here?” Keith asked, the last vestiges of over-bubbling mirth dying away all at once as he shot upright. Shiro nodded. 

“I presume she wants to know what I thought about yesterday’s intrusion into our office?” Kolivan said. 

“Yes,” Shiro replied. 

“Lotor’s always been an ambitious one,” Kolivan said, sighing heavily. “Ambition is considered good, in small amounts, but overambition has been shown time and time again to corrupt one’s psycho-pass. It is a delicate balance, and one that few can manage. Up until now, I believed that criminally asymptomatic individuals were a myth, but now… I am not so certain. Lotor has had nothing to fulfill his ambition, nor anything to curb it. It would be easy to believe his ambitions might have exceeded safety were it not for his psycho-pass, but if he is capable of controlling his hue, then that seems likely after all. Furthermore, there is the matter of the previous tenth division enforcers. Not counting the current batch, the tenth division has had 9 enforcers in the past eight years. There’s Prorok, who is still listed as AWOL, but no details regarding his disappearance were ever reported. Then Plytox died under rather suspicious circumstances, Morvok suddenly went insane, Branko suddenly was handed an execution sentence for who knows what reason, Throk was accused of trying to sell Dominators to the general public, the list goes on and on. And any one of those alone might not have been too unlikely, but all combined… clearly there is something going on in the tenth division, and it is unlikely that one inspector alone could make it so.” 

As Kolivan was speaking, the rest of the ninth division drifted in, reluctantly coming to work when they’d all rather sleep for a week or two. 

“Though that’s just my personal opinion,” Kolivan said, clearing his throat as he took stock of the arrival of everyone else. 

“I still find it rather unlikely,” Regris said. “The odds of someone being criminally asymptomatic are just too slim. And should such a person exist, for them to manage something of the extent that Narti was claiming, there’s no way they wouldn’t get caught.” 

“But Lotor has been cautious about his actions,” Krolia argued back. “Not only that, but we never see the tenth division, so we can’t vouch for them the way we can for everyone else.” 

“But Lotor hasn’t given us any reason not to trust him,” Ulaz argued, taking Regris’s side. “If anything, he’s done the opposite. And while you argue that it is odd that Lotor took so long to come to us, then what about the tenth division enforcers? Why didn’t they come to us sooner about Lotor?” 

“Isn’t that because they have more to lose?” Antok asked. Everyone turned to look at him. “I mean, for an enforcer to say anything against an inspector in general is a big risk. There’s going to be suspicion against them right from the start, so to lie is too dangerous. Furthermore, if Lotor is as bad as they are saying, should they get caught, they might die. And while the same might be said for Lotor if he really is betraying Zarkon, there’s also the enforcers’ emotional responses to consider. During Lotor’s meeting, did anyone look at them? All four of those women seemed uncomfortable and a little ashamed. Almost guilty. There are plenty of possible reasons, but if they knew their inspector was lying, that would certainly explain it. There was also the way Narti acted with us. She was frantic, panicked, and desperate. She was afraid. And it didn’t seem like she was afraid for herself. I willingly concede that I might be wrong, but that’s just what I think.” 

“But we still have no guarantees,” Ulaz countered. 

“Well then let me ask you this,” Shiro said, interrupting the debate. “What do you think of the current plan to counter Zarkon?” 

“It’s foolhardy at best,” Thace said bluntly. 

“Indeed, there are too many factors that could go wrong,” Regris agreed. 

The others all shook their heads to show their opinions rather than give verbal responses. 

“In that case, if Allura were to devise a new plan, one that didn’t rely on Lotor’s information, would you be willing to take part? Depending on the plan, of course.” 

Kolivan and Thace exchanged a glance. 

“I think we would rather prefer that,” Kolivan said. “And we’d be honored if Former Inspector Altea would let us take part in the planning process.” 

“Great,” Shiro said, rubbing his hands together. “It’ll be hard to coordinate everyone’s schedules, of course, but she was planning on holding a meeting tonight at five. There’ll be a team from the seventh and a team from the eighth sitting things out to handle any cases that come in, so you can both attend if you choose, or you can opt to send a team out into the field as well. Either way, Allura would really appreciate it. And while it doesn’t count for much, so will I.” 

“If it’s alright, I think we’d both like to be there,” Kolivan said. “Though of course I can be on standby if another team is needed in the field.” 

As Kolivan spoke, Keith noticed a new email message flash on his computer screen. He might have ignored it, but it was from the care facility his father was in. He went ahead and opened it as the inspectors and Shiro finalized the details, marveling yet again at how odd it was that he had gone from being a little boy with a single dad to his dad entrusting their little family’s care to the hands of a young man that Keith didn’t even know, and now here he was, not only independent but also now legally responsible for his dad. He still felt too young to have such responsi- 

Keith froze as he read the email. He read it again, confirming what he’d seen as his breath suddenly felt too shallow and too deep at the same time, somehow managing to burn his throat and lungs even though it was the same air he’d been breathing all morning. He was on his feet as he read it a third time, not caring that he was getting odd looks from his colleagues as the information set in, making his legs turn to jelly and his eyes ache as he tried not to tear up. 

“Krolia,” he managed to choke out. “Krolia, I think you should read this.” 

With that, Keith walked quickly from the room, not trusting his legs to allow him to run. He was halfway down the hall when Shiro came after him, calling his name and jogging to catch up. 

“Not here,” Keith insisted as he continued to speed-walk, not blinking as he tried to will any tears back into their production glands. 

“Fine,” Shiro agreed keeping pace as Keith turned a corner blindly. “My room. I have to go find Allura to report in first, but I’ll be there soon, okay? Go in there, and play with Smokey or punch the couch cushions or get yourself a drink- but only one and only a small one- or whatever you need right now, okay?” 

Keith nodded, and Shiro sighed then jogged off, satisfied Keith would obey. And Keith did. He wasn’t quite sure how he made it to Shiro’s room, or if he saw anyone on the way there, just that one minute he was walking and the next he was on Shiro’s couch, staring at a bottle of sake because Shiro refused to drink anything else and tickling Shiro’s cat’s chin. And even though Shiro had said he had to find Allura, he was there, an arm around Keith’s shoulders and babbling nonsense like he did whenever he tried to comfort someone. 

“I just can’t believe he’s gone,” Keith said hoarsely. 

“Who is?” Shiro asked gently. 

“Dad. He- the hospice emailed that he passed away this morning. In his sleep they said. Though it’s not like there was any difference between him being asleep and being awake.” 

“Oh Keith,” Shiro sighed, pulling Keith even closer and rubbing his back. Keith rested his forehead against Shiro’s chest, soaking up the comfort before pulling back. 

“You know, I guess I kinda thought that living like that, he’d never really die, you know? Like, he was barely alive and all, and it was like that made him immortal. Like that was the price for eternity or something. Like Death would just look at him and think he’d already died, and so Death would never take him. But I… guess I was wrong,” Keith whispered. 

“I’m so sorry Keith,” Shiro said. “Your dad… I honestly don’t know why he came to me to look after you. I mean, yeah my dad was his step-brother, so we were the closest family we had left, but… I always wondered if maybe you wouldn’t have been better off with someone else. If maybe he made a mistake in trusting me. And even now, I wonder if I did the right things. Like, when he first came to me, he told me, ‘Takashi, once I go into care, I want you to tell Keith I’m already dead. Don’t give him any kind of hope, just be blunt about it.’ Only I didn’t. I couldn’t. How was I supposed to tell a fucking fourteen-year-old who’d just been left with a stranger that he had nothing left? And unless things went really wrong, you were going to find out someday. You’d grow up and become a legal adult and then I wouldn’t be able to assume guardianship of either of you anymore and so you’d find out that he was still around, and how would that feel, to know that the person you were left with had lied to you for 7 years?” 

“I-it’s okay Shiro,” Keith said, calming down in the face of Shiro’s own meltdown. “I think you did a good job.” 

“Yeah right,” Shiro laughed bitterly. He took deep breaths, trying to regain a normal breathing rhythm following his panicked outburst that had left him almost hyperventilating, then stiffened as a realization dawned on him. “Hang on, why did you tell Krolia to read that email?” 

“I guess you didn’t know either that she’s apparently my mom?” Keith said, and smiled a bit at Shiro’s stunned head shake. 

“Really?” Shiro asked. 

“I guess? I heard her and the other enforcers in the ninth talking about it.” Keith shrugged. Shiro gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes. “Alright, I kinda eavesdropped a little. But it’s hard to resist once you hear your own name!” 

Shiro shook his head and muttered something about people thinking he hadn’t done anything to raise Keith. 

“Alright,” Shiro said in a louder voice, getting to his feet. “We can stay here or we can go back to your room in the ninth division, but we are getting Krolia so the two of you can cry this out.” 

“Shiro, we’re supposed to be working.” 

“They’ll make an exception for grief. Besides, so far, things haven’t been too bad today. They’ll manage without the two of you, at least for a little while. And knowing you, you won’t take more than an hour at most before you decide you need to be moving. But… the two of you need to take a little time to share your grief, okay?” 

And so Keith found himself knocking on Krolia’s door. He found that she answered the door with tears on her face, and wrapped him in a hug and pulled him inside. He found himself crying for real then, tucked into the embrace of a mother he’d never gotten to know as they mourned the loss of a man they’d both loved. 

* * *

As Shiro had predicted, Keith was back at work within an hour. He and Krolia had only missed out on one minor case, and he was glad he hadn’t let everyone down by selfishly taking an hour to cry. 

But even if Keith was back to work, it was painfully obvious that Kolivan was trying to keep him and Krolia from the thick of things. He understood Kolivan was trying to look out for them, and that normal people probably lost their sense of judgment after losing a family member, but Shiro had been Keith’s family for so long now, and his father had been such a distant and untouchable person that whole time, and so while he was sad, it could have been a lot worse. And Keith would recover best if they just let him do his job. That was always how he recovered. 

After hours of being asked to help the drones with crowd control and other such menial tasks, Keith was only too glad to attend Allura’s meeting. He was disappointed to see that Lance wasn’t there, having ended up out in the field instead, but it was nice to get a warm hug from Allura. 

If Keith were honest, during his teenage years he’d ended up thinking of Allura a bit as a mother, or perhaps a big sister or an aunt. There was never anything but friendship between her and Shiro, but they’d had a close working relationship and so she’d come over often in those days. She was the one who had broken the news to Keith about Shiro, and when Keith’s psycho-pass went out of control, the one who managed to bring him in. And later, she was the one who convinced him to become an enforcer. Sure, Shiro had played a part in that, but Allura had been the one to point out just how suited he was for the job, how he had been all along. And she had been right. 

The meeting was fairly straightforward. Lotor’s plan had insisted that they split up to defend the four targeted ministers as they went about their everyday life. They would have no way of knowing when an attack would come, and they would be in smaller teams than was strictly advisable, but Lotor had insisted it was necessary as they didn’t want to alert Zarkon to the fact that they were aware of his plan. Everyone agreed that this plan should be ditched entirely. 

What they decided was the best alternative was that they bring the targets together, in a highly defensible place such as the MWPSB headquarters building. With all the work the Holts had put into the infrastructure, it would be nearly impossible for someone to sneak up on them there. They also had plenty of supplies, and could hold out indefinitely should the need arise. And even if a situation called them outside, there were plenty of places the targets could barricade themselves until help arrived. 

At the end of the meeting, the two field teams, the rest of the eighth division, and a team from the ninth division that did not include Keith were all dispatched to collect the targeted ministers, carrying recorded messages from Allura to convince them to come in. Until they returned with the ministers, there wasn’t much to do, and Keith found himself straying towards the gym to go a round or twenty with the battle bot. 

Keith was just cooling off after his third round when he heard voices. He didn’t think much of it, until the door burst open and in walked Rolo and Nyma. 

Shit. 

Keith had been on autopilot when he headed off on his own, and had gone to the seventh division’s floor. He’d messed up. 

“Well look who it is,” Nyma said. “Looking a little tired there, Keith with teeth.” 

“Nyma, the only thing that has ever been insulting about that moniker is how uninsulting it is,” Rolo informed her. “Hi Keith.” 

“Uh, hi,” Keith grunted uncertainly. 

“Still as loquacious as ever, I see,” Nyma laughed. 

“I just… kinda figured I was still on everyone’s shit list. Well, except maybe Shiro? I dunno,” Keith mumbled. 

“Well of course you’re still on everyone’s shit list. You were a real dick to Lance, and deserve to rot in Hell for what you said,” Nyma said bluntly. The woman could be downright vicious when she wanted. “But the other day, after you stood up for him? He looked better than he had in ages. I’m assuming you finally got your shit together and apologized?” 

“Er, sorta.” 

“Whaddaya mean, sorta?” Nyma screeched. 

“Well it- It kinda got a bit messed up? I was distracted.” 

“Do you hear him? He was distracted. My god!” Nyma turned away in disgust. 

“No! I- I didn’t mean it that way. I just, I had it all planned out what an apology was gonna be like, but then he said something that made me realize that there was something I said that had really hurt him that I hadn’t even considered would be upsetting to him, and so it wasn’t in my apology at all, and I just got so focused on that that I-” 

“Easy there,” Rolo said, hands up pacifically. Keith took a deep shuddering breath, only just then realizing how fast he’d been talking or how high his voice had gotten as he’d spoken. “So what exactly was it that you hadn’t considered hurting him so much?” Rolo asked. “Because most of what you said seemed intended to hurt.” 

“It was the last thing I said. About how the way he- hang on, how do you know what I said?” 

Nyma let out a single biting “HA!” of laughter. If something so angry could still be called laughter. 

“The next time you pick a fight with someone, maybe you ought to consider where other people are!” she spat. 

“What do you mean?” Keith asked. 

“Dude, think about it for a second,” Rolo said. “Where was everyone else while you and Lance were fighting? If you’re having troubles, remember what we’d done the night before and go from there.” 

“Well, we went to the bar… and then we realized Janka was dead… and then everyone went to the lab to- oh.” Keith felt the blood drain from his face as he realized. The lab. Everyone had been in the lab. The lab that had the security feeds for the entire building, and from whence the Holts spied on everyone. That lab. 

“Yeah,” Rolo said, nodding. “You got it.” 

“So… you guys listened in?” 

“Yeah, kinda,” Rolo admitted. “I mean, we were all sitting there, listening to these boring-ass conversations between drunks and not hearing anything good, when all of a sudden Nyma, who was closest to the monitors, starts slapping her hand against the desk and going ‘Pidge Pidge Pidge Pidge Pidge! He’s gonna do it, he’s gonna actually do it ohmigod! We gotta listen to this! It’s gonna be so cute!’ And me and Shiro and Matt were all like ‘what the fuck is with these two,’ but Pidge was already squealing and turning on the volume and so we ended up hearing every single word, right from the start.” 

“And you guys didn’t come to murder me? Uh, thanks I guess.” 

“Nah, don’t thank us. We were just too busy trying to hold back Shiro. About halfway through, he just went really white and muttered something about killing that little punk, and we figured he didn’t mean Lance. And while we were all of us in favor of seeing you suffer for that one, we figured Shiro might actually kill you, and then we’d be down two enforcers since no enforcer commits a cold-blooded murder and still keeps the job. Plus, if we actually let him kill you, then there would be nothing left for the rest of us to eviscerate.” 

“Not to mention that big softie wouldn’t make it painful enough!” Nyma called from where she was doing crunches. 

“Yeah, that too,” Rolo agreed calmly. “So yeah, we heard what you said, and we know that you were very specifically trying to hurt Lance, and we know exactly what a bastard you were to him. So you won’t be off the hook anytime soon. But if you go ahead and apologize again, this time without getting distracted, and you grovel when you do- I’m talking on your knees and kissing his feet grovelling- then maybe we’ll consider forgiving you. Someday. Because it’s pretty obvious that Lance has been missing you, and I’m willing to bet you’ve been missing him too given that, thanks to the fact that it took all of us in the lab to hold Shiro back, we still had the sound on when Hunk set you straight like a true savage. Plus the two times you’ve been in the same room as him since then you’ve spent a very transparent amount of time ogling him. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other divisions have caught on to your feelings for him at this point, it’s been that bad.” 

“Well, yeah," Keith said, blushing. "I mean, I know I have no right to be worried when it’s my fault he got hurt to begin with, but I- I don’t want him to be unhappy. He doesn’t deserve it, y’know? I don’t want my mistakes to cause him to suffer- I’m the only one who should have to deal with the consequences, not him. And the only way I can tell how he’s doing is by looking.” 

“But looking for ten minutes straight?” Rolo asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I just wanted to be sure he wasn’t hiding anything,” Keith mumbled weakly. 

“Dude, it’s apparent with just a single glance that he is miserable. He ain’t hiding squat. Admit it, you were just looking because you simply don’t know how to stop.” 

Keith blushed more vividly at Rolo’s teasing. 

“Rolo, you’re acting like you’ve forgiven him,” Nyma called. 

“Oh. Whoops. Well, maybe I will, just because he always was fun to tease.” 

“Huh, I suppose you have a point. But I still think he ought to do that apology with grovelling that you suggested.” 

“Of a certainty.” 

“Well, I may not have considered the kissing his feet part, but the rest of what you said was kinda already planned,” Keith admitted. 

“Oh, good boy, Keith!” Rolo said, clapping a few times. “See, maybe you’re not a total lost cause after all!” 

“Nah, I’m pretty sure he is,” Nyma drawled, and Keith nodded in agreement. 

“Anyway, as fun as this chat is, I did come here to work out a bit,” Rolo said, laughing. “Ever since Shinya showed up, I’ve been feeling like a newborn calf because, no offense, but Shinya makes even you and Shiro look like lazy bums. God, I never thought I’d be saying something like that.” 

Ah yes. There it was again. That jealousy writhing in the center of Keith’s chest. 

_Keep it down, Kogane. Rolo said Lance missed you. Why would he miss you if he had another guy on the side?_

_Yeah but some people are greedy and want everything they can get from everyone they can get it from, did you stop to consider that?_

_If you really think Lance is like that, you don’t know him at all, idiot._

As soon as Rolo had drifted off to his preferred weight machine, Keith called up the battle bot again. In times of trouble, Keith was always one to choose punching his problems rather than dealing with them rationally. 

* * *

From the moment Lance lay eyes on Terry Trigel, he knew they were a force to be reckoned with. There was something about their willowy figure that spoke of deception- they were not weak as they appeared, but instead, they were a ferocious creature, tamed only by a kindly disposition; one who could destroy the world at least fifty different ways before lunch. Lance did not want to get on their bad side. 

Of course, the first thing Lance did was just that. Or almost, anyway. He called them ma’am. 

Luckily, they laughed it off and explained their gender-neutral pronouns, and gracefully accepted his apology. Lance was in awe. Yes, he’d come here knowing he was to collect someone who had lasted ten years as an MWPSB Inspector and come out unscathed, and had gone on to become one of the most powerful and beloved government ministers before opting to come back home and be just a local official (albeit one who was still quite powerful and beloved). But knowing that and seeing the reality were two different things. 

Lance explained the situation to the elder, who patiently heard him out before responding. 

“Are you sure?” they asked at the end. 

Was Lance sure? Honestly, no, he wasn’t. For all he knew, the former inspectors could just be some ruse. If Lotor really was behind everything, they didn’t know what he wanted. Zarkon maybe had nothing to do with this. But Ezod or whatever her name was had said that Zarkon really was loose, and he really did have it out for this person and their colleagues, and Lance had decided to believe her. 

“There is some chance that we’re wrong, but given the circumstances, we have decided to proactively defend you and the others,” he replied. “We know this will be an inconvenience to you, and we apologize for that, but we feel it is necessary to guarantee your safety. This city cannot afford to lose you, Official Trigel.” 

“Besides, depending on how things go, you might get to use a Dominator again,” Shiro said casually from behind Lance. The look that lit up the elder’s face reaffirmed Lance’s conviction that this person could be dangerous when reckoned with. There was something ever-so-slightly predatory in that grin. 

“Now that is a way to this old-person’s heart,” they said. “Let’s go. I hope the others have enough sense to come along, because having the old team together and back in action ought to be fun. I just hope we aren’t too decrepit to participate a bit.” 

“I very much doubt that,” Lance said, a hint of his old flirtatiousness creeping into his voice on its own. Oh geez. That was awkward. Once again, Trigel proved to be a very gracious person, however, and smiled back to humor him. If the other officials were anything like Trigel, Lance thought he was going to like them. 

* * *

The ride back to headquarters did change Lance’s opinion a bit, because Trigel was a bit alarmed by his driving. In the back seat, Shinya had leaned back and put his arms behind his head as a kind of pillow, and Shiro was scrolling through the feed on his wrist computer in case any crimes that needed to be dealt with ASAP cropped up, but up in the front seat Trigel was alternating between white-knuckling the edges of the seat and covering their eyes. Lance was even going the speed limit for crying out loud! Maybe it was because they were old. 

In particular, Lance did not appreciate their comment as they got out of the car about their life flashing before their eyes. If they thought his driving was dangerous, how were they going to react to actual danger? He rolled his eyes but otherwise kept his peace, watching warily as another car pulled into the garage. 

The second car turned out to be Iverson, returning back from collecting Godfrey Gyrgan. Lance relaxed as they all got out of their car, and Trigel ran over to jump onto Gyrgan’s back and cling to him like a baby possum hanging onto its mother. It was oddly refreshing to see them, Gyrgan trying to shake his smaller colleague off, calling them a gremlin, and Trigel saying that they needed some physical contact after their… near-death experience?! Okay, yeah, Lance was really starting to dislike Trigel. Maybe they were just teasing, but weren’t they taking it a bit far? Driving was one of the things he knew he was good at, so every time someone came and dissed his driving… well, it really hurt. 

“It seems we’re the first ones back,” Iverson said from Lance’s side, causing Lance to start. When had Iverson gotten so close? Lance had always assumed that silent steps and masking one’s presence were an enforcer thing, but apparently not if this guy could do it too. “Good job McClain. Nice to see you actually taking things seriously for once, without any of your usual deviations.” 

Well, even if Trigel insulted his driving, at least they didn’t turn every positive thing they ever said into some kind of backhanded compliment. But still, Iverson probably didn’t mean that as rudely as it came out. Probably. 

“Thank you, Inspector,” Lance replied coolly, since that was what was expected. He began heading for the elevator, but just before he got there it dinged and Allura practically pried the doors open to come charging out. 

“Elder Terry! Uncle Godfrey!” she cried, racing to embrace the two of them in a hug. Trigel managed to drop of Gyrgan’s back in time to meet her head-on, and the three happily group-hugged. 

“To think our little Allura is all grown up,” Gyrgan said with a fake sniffle. “How time flies.” 

“Uncle Godfrey, you saw me just last month when you came to the capital for business,” Allura said drily. 

“It feels like just yesterday you were in diapers!” Gyrgan continued, unperturbed. 

“You better not embarrass me by showing people my baby photos again!” Allura hissed. 

“What’s this about baby photos?” Lance murmured to Shiro. 

“When Allura was still an inspector, her father and his colleagues came by to visit once and showed her baby photos around,” Shiro murmured back. “Though of course Former Enforcer Coran, who had also known her since she was a baby, had all the best shots. You would never believe Allura was such a messy child without the photo evidence.” 

“You’re right, I don’t believe it. I never took you for a kidder, Shiro.” 

“No really, it’s true!” 

“Quit pulling my leg!” 

“As fascinating as this is, aren’t we supposed to be heading back into the field?” Shinya reminded. 

“Oh right,” Lance sighed, rerouting back to the car instead. “Though be honest, you’re just wanting to head out so you can avoid your old friends, right?” he added, teasing creeping into his voice. 

“As if,” Shinya scoffed, but his eyes did dart towards the elevator as if he expected Tsunemori and Ginoza to appear. Lance and Shiro exchanged raised-eyebrow glances and carefully hid their smirks. For someone who was usually so unfathomable, when it came to his former colleagues, Shinya was sooo transparent. 

As the three of them got back into the car, two more cars pulled in, depositing the remaining two officials, the remainder of the eighth division, and half of the ninth. Lance tried to quell his disappointment when he didn’t see Keith with the group from the ninth. It was silly for him to look for the other. They weren’t even together anymore, and Keith had probably just stood up for him the other day on principal. And that apology? Well, that was just because Keith wasn’t actually a total dick, and… and Lance just wanted to see his boy, was that such a terrible thing? 

Lance was about 87% certain that both Shinya and Shiro noticed him looking for Keith. Shiro, because both Lance and Keith tended to confide in him- and who wouldn’t when Shiro was just so dad?- and Shinya because he seemed to noticed every. Single. Thing. Like, Lance was so glad their work roles weren’t reversed, because he was pretty sure that it would be terrifying. He felt sorry for the enforcers who had worked under Shinya back when he was an inspector. The guy was just so intense. In the intensest sense of the word intense, too. 

They were dispatched to a domestic disturbance, and had just arrived when Lance got an invitation to a conference call. He accepted, noting as he did that the other participants included Hunk, Iverson, Kaltenacker, Kolivan, Thace, Allura, and Lotor. They had to wait a moment as a couple more people connected, and Lance used that time to gesture for the two enforcers to head on in to begin dealing with the case. The two enforcers headed off, and once everyone was on the line, Lotor, who had begun the call, spoke up. 

“My dear colleagues, do explain to me, what is this foolish deviation from the plan?” 

“My dear Inspector,” Allura replied, her voice matching Lotor’s in icy chill, “this ‘foolish deviation’ as you call it, is something we all agreed upon. There are, of course, a total of eighteen people in the seventh, eighth, and ninth divisions combined. There are two lab techs, and, counting myself, a total of four visitors who have also opted to get involved in this case. That makes a total of twenty-four people, outside of the tenth division, who would have been involved in your plan, and all twenty-four of us agreed that it was simply too risky. Furthermore, we have consulted the targets, and they all feel that the solution the twenty-four of us have proposed is much better than your plan. To put it simply, you have been overruled, Lawrence.” 

Lance had to suppress a whistle. Damn Allura was savage. 

“It may seem better on the surface, Allura, but I assure you that you have made a terrible mistake.” Lotor’s voice was pure venom. 

“Do tell,” Allura, replied sweetly. 

“Zarkon is not a fool. He will find a way to get his targets alone, and now, thanks to you, they will all be in one place, conveniently served up for him.” 

“And how, pray tell, would we have guaranteed they not end up alone with your plan? The same things that could be used to lure us away from them now could also have been used to lure us away from them before. With this plan, we can guarantee that, should we have to leave them, they are in a safe location, and they are armed, and they will not be alone as they will have each other.” 

“Zarkon will not attack when he cannot win. He will wait until you give up waiting for his attack. The moment you let your guard down is when he will strike.” 

“Zarkon was never known for his patience. Besides, I doubt he will feel much like waiting once he see our little… invitation.” 

“Invitation?” Lotor asked. “What madness has possessed you all?” 

“Perhaps you should be asking yourself, that, Lawrence. Good day,” Allura said, and left the call. The other inspectors began following immediately. 

Lance moved to cut his end of the line as well, but the sound of his name stopped him. 

“Lance,” Lotor said as the last person left the call. 

“Yeah?” Lance sighed. 

“Please listen to me. Whatever you all agreed upon, it only puts everyone in danger. You must see reason. Surely _you_ at least-” 

“Surely I at least what? See things your way? What makes you think I would? Why, of all people, do you think I would be the one dissident voice?” 

“Because you and I are quite similar, I think,” Lotor purred. “Did you not sense it when we met? I did. And your record just proves it. You are willing to do what the others will not. You understand that sometimes, one must take risks. Be reasonable, Lance. Together, we can-” 

Lance hung up rather than listen to the rest of what Lotor was saying. Good riddance. 

A moment later, another call came in: Hunk. 

“Yello,” Lance answered tiredly. 

“Hey, Lance, I know you’re in the middle of a case and all, but you should try and finish things up quick if you can. Allura wants everyone back here, soonest.” 

“Will do, Hunk.” 

“Also, did I mishear things as I was hanging up, or was Lotor trying to get your attention?” 

“He was,” Lance said flatly. “He seemed to think that I could be convinced to see things his way. Though why he’d even bother when his plan has already been ripped to shreds, I don’t know, but who can fathom how a mad man thinks?” 

“What’d you say?” 

“I hung up on him. Anyway, if I’m gonna be back soonest, I gotta go help Shinya and Shiro out. See ya in a bit, Hunky Funk.” 

“Alright, Fancy Lance.” 

Lance hung up, but before he could even take a step, the two enforcers were coming out, shaking their heads. 

“False alarm,” Shiro said. “The wife tried to prank her husband and succeeded a little too well. The neighbors heard screaming and called us, but we checked and everyone is fine.” 

“Guess we’ll be back to HQ sooner than I thought,” Lance said. “We’ve been called back. You guys’re definitely certain everything’s okay here?” 

“Beyond certain,” Shinya replied. 

“Excellent. Let’s fly.” 

Lance pretended not to notice just how quickly the two enforcers buckled their seatbelts when they got in the car. 

* * *

The teams that had gone out into the field had only been back about ten minutes when the first alarm went off and sent the building into lockdown. Keith was rather impressed- whatever had been in that “invitation” Allura had the Holts make and send to District Chief Haggar must’ve really ruffled some feathers if Zarkon was here already. And it had to be Zarkon, because Lotor was capable of getting in without tripping the building’s security system. 

As soon as the alarm went off, everyone retreated to the lab. It wasn’t ideal, lacking the comfort and access to food supplies that would be needed should this become a drawn-out battle, but it was deemed strategically more important to defend the lab since from there they could see their enemies’ every movements. They also set up bunkers in the halls surrounding the lab, using tables turned on their sides as makeshift barriers. Those bunkers would be where the different teams would be stationed. They had 22 people and two lab techs to protect 4 people from a siege. Keith was confident in the capabilities of his colleagues and himself, but he still wondered if it would be enough. Only time would tell. 

After being assigned an area to help cover, Keith went to use the bathroom. Better to do it now then to be suffering from a straining bladder in the middle of the fighting. He had just entered the bathroom when he heard the telltale sounds of vomiting and a voice that had somehow become almost as familiar as his own murmuring “Easy there buddy, everything’s gonna be okay.” 

Apparently Keith had come to the same bathroom where Hunk was having another one of his nervous stomach rebellions and Lance was comforting him. He felt like he was intruding, and considered leaving, but he wasn’t so cold hearted that he could just walk away when Hunk was undoubtedly having a miserable time of things. So, Keith instead went over to the sink and grabbed one of the towels they had there to clean up messes, then turned on the tap and placed the towel underneath, soaking the cloth. Once it was sopping wet, he wrung it out a bit, then headed towards the stall where he could hear Hunk spitting. 

“Here,” he said, positioning himself to the side of the stall, facing away and reaching behind him to proffer the towel. 

“Thanks,” Lance said, and the towel was removed from Keith’s hand. 

“Let me know if you need any more,” Keith replied, leaning back against the wall beside the stall door. 

“Nah, I think we’re good,” Lance said, his voice almost swallowed in the sound of a flush. A moment later, he came out supporting a staggering Hunk, who stumbled over to the sink to use the edges for support. 

“Oh man,” Hunk groaned. “One of these days I really gotta kick this habit. It’s embarrassing, miserable, and totally inconvenient. Not to mention unprofessional.” 

“You can’t help it, big guy,” Lance replied gently. “It’s just something that happens. You deal with it the best you can, and that’s all anyone can ask of you.” 

“He’s right,” Keith agreed. “Plus, you have improved a lot since you first started at the job, so don’t be so quick to put yourself down.” 

Lance flashed Keith a look of gratitude. 

“Still,” Hunk groaned, “I think I’d rather find a way to make it stop altogether. Vomit always tastes so awful, no matter how good it was going down.” 

“That would be the bile,” Keith said, knowing it was unhelpful but hoping it might encourage some laughs. It did. 

As Hunk washed up under Lance’s mothering eye, Keith went to conduct his business. After he finished, he joined the other two at the sink and washed his hands. Hunk was still splashing water in his face as Keith dried his hands. Keith hesitated, but figured Lance had things covered, and went to leave, patting Hunk on the back as he went and telling him “You’ll be fine, Hunk. See you after this is all done.” He wasn’t sure if he should say anything to Lance, so he just waved. 

“Wait, Keith,” Lance called as Keith approached the door, and he was never any good at denying Lance. He stopped and turned back, facing Lance just in time for the other’s lips to meet his. 

“Oh shit,” Lance said pulling away, a blush coloring his face. “Sorry, I meant to get your cheek. But um, that’s… that’s for luck, okay? Take care of yourself out there.” 

Since Lance wouldn’t meet Keith’s eyes, he never saw Keith’s return kiss coming. It was a bit longer than the first, and full of emotion: apology, love, fear for Lance’s wellbeing, and longing were just a few of the feelings present. 

“Luck,” Keith whispered back. “And you take care of yourself too, since I won’t be there to look after you.” 

“You cocky little shit,” Lance laughed, but he pulled Keith close before letting go. They separated, and Keith walked out, forbidding himself from looking back. If he looked back, it would be like he was trying to memorize Lance’s face because he might not see him again, and Keith wanted to believe that everyone here would survive. He had to believe it. Had to believe there would be future days wishing Nyma would just shut the hell up because she was annoying, and sparring sessions with Shiro, and Rolo dragging him off to try and teach him “how to have fun”. Had to believe that there would be future bargains with the Holts for silly things like recordings of unimportant conversations. Had to believe that there would be more books Regris would recommend that he would read and not understand, and more time to spend getting to know Krolia as his mom, and more times where he would look over to see Antok doing something completely unpredictable meant to make people laugh, and more having Ulaz come and ask him to massage his “old and aching bones”. Had to believe that there would be more getting irritated by everything the eighth division did, and more half-hearted lectures from Kolivan and Thace, and more talking about his problems with Hunk and Shay. And most of all, he had to believe he’d get his chance to make everything right with Lance. 

They were going to make it through this. Even if he had to single-handedly fight his way through a thousand latent criminals to ensure the safety of everyone, he would, because even the ones he didn’t like were still precious people to him. 

* * *

Long minutes passed after the first alarm went off, but silence reigned. There were no further alarms going off, no status updates from the Holts, just silence. Keith, who was in a team with Antok, Regris, Ulaz, and Thace, could see his fellows all getting antsy, and he knew that something was going to break before long. 

“Holts, what in the ever-loving fuck is going on, pray tell,” Allura said impatiently over their comms. It seemed that whatever had to break just did. 

“I don’t understand,” Pidge’s voice replied. “We aren’t seeing anything. Like at all! It’s… weird. And really freaking eerie.” 

“I think you mean freaky _and_ eerie,” Matt joked. 

“Matt, I love you, but that was awful,” Nyma said. 

“Professionalism, Bell,” Iverson chided. 

“Well if they aren’t here, then where are they?” Allura exploded. 

“Well, there’s a few possibilities,” Matt said slowly. “One is that they realized they tripped the alarm, and panicked and ran away.” 

“I still think that’s idiotic,” Pidge interrupted. “There’s no way they didn’t expect us to have alarms of some sort, and no way they would attack such a high-security target if they were gonna get scared off so easily. If you ask me, they’re playing mind games.” 

“Mind games?” Rolo asked. 

“Yeah. The best weapon in a siege, or any kind of battle really, is morale,” Pidge said confidently. “Mess with people’s minds a bit and freak them out and suddenly, they’re not so tough. That could be exactly what they’re doing now. They come in, trip the alarm, and then back off to let us sit here and sweat about an impending attack that isn’t actually coming yet. They let us wait in a panic until we’ve tired ourselves out and then hit us when we’re down.” 

“Another possibility that Pidge is also quick to dismiss,” Matt said on the heels of Pidge’s outburst, “but that I think we should consider based on recent events, is that they found a way to sneak past us. We’re in the process of rebooting things just in case, but that takes time, so be on your guard. We could send out some Beezers, but… It’ll be hard to cover everywhere we need to with them.” 

“And since we can’t be sure which possibility it is, then we have to be prepared for all,” Allura muttered grimly. “Which means it could be either of Matt’s suggestions combined with Pidge’s. What a conundrum.” 

“What if it’s none of those?” Kogami’s voice asked. Keith felt himself make a face. Even if Kogami hadn’t been hitting on Lance, he still couldn’t bring himself to like the guy. 

“What do you mean?” Lance asked, and Keith felt his grimace intensify. He didn’t want Lance taking that guy’s side! 

“I mean, what if it’s like Janka?” Kogami said. 

“What do you… ohhh quiznak,” Pidge said, and Keith could hear in her voice just how pale her face must have been at that moment. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Kaltenacker asked. 

“A lead of ours a month ago,” Hunk said. “He was found dead, just outside the building. We never saw who left him there, he just appeared.” 

“So what?” Regris asked. 

“So, what if that’s what they did just now?” Pidge asked, and frantic typing could be heard in the background. 

“Mirrored-dog!” Matt spat. 

“It’s _mierda_ , Matt! If you’re going to use my native tongue, get it right, you heathen!” Lance snapped. 

“Does it matter when it looks like they left bombs in here?” Matt practically shrieked. 

“How many?” Kolivan asked. 

“Uh…” Matt said, and the frantic typing could still be heard. 

“We’ve counted five so far,” Pidge said, “but we’re still getting cameras back up from the reboot! I’m sending the Beezers for recon, but based on where the ones we’ve seen are positioned, I think it’s safe to say there’s at least a dozen and they are meant to bring down this building with all of us inside!” 

“Can the Beezers disarm them for us?” Kolivan asked, and Keith had to admire the man’s guts because he sounded 100% calm, as if he were trying to make plans with friends. Though the few times Keith had actually made plans with friends he’d found it stressful since people would have something come up last minute or would seem to forget the plan details the day of. 

Either way, there were fucking bombs on the building, and Kolivan wasn’t the least bit bothered. Or so it would seem from his tone. 

“Yeah they can… Or not,” Matt said. 

“What do you mean, or not?” Iverson asked. 

“I mean that a whole bunch of the Beezers just went offline. As did our cameras in the area. Probably an EMP.” 

“Please tell me you’re kidding,” Allura said. 

“I wish.” 

“On the plus side, most explosives these days rely on electronics, so it may have short-circuited the bombs as well,” Pidge said. 

“I very much doubt that’s the case,” Kolivan said. 

“Yeah, me too. But I thought I’d say it because it sounds a lot nicer than ‘we’re fucking screwed.’” 

“Pidge! Watch your mouth!” Matt scolded. 

“Actually, there are studies dating back as far as a hundred years that say that swearing actually serves as a form of minor stress relief. More modern studies have even connected swearing to clearer psycho-passes,” Hunk said. 

“Can we get back to the part where the drones can’t defuse the bombs for us?” Kaltenacker asked impatiently. 

“Drones?” Rolo gasped. “How dare you refer to our precious Beezers as such! They are so much more than just drones!” 

“Smith, I have just over a year left until retirement,” Iverson said with forced patience. “Please stop being an ass before I end up an enforcer like you, determined to make your life miserable for getting me there. Now, if we can’t use the… Beezers, then we’ll have to go down there and do things manually, Ms. Altea? What are your orders?” 

“In order to make sure we can deal with all the bombs in a timely fashion, we’ll have to send at least two teams down,” Allura said. “Thace, I believe you and Ulaz have training on bomb defusal, correct?” 

“Yes,” Thace confirmed. 

“Then your team will be one of the ones going. The less Pidge and Matt have to explain bomb defusal, the better. As for the other team… Hunk, I think you should go. Rolo and Nyma like taking things apart, so this should hopefully be right up their alley. The rest of us will stay up here, since it is possible they might anticipate us noticing the bombs and have a strike force ready should we all head down.” 

“Affirmative,” the various inspectors said, accepting their assignments. Thace motioned for their team to head towards the elevators, and they abandoned their position. 

“And everyone?” Allura added. “Stay safe. The city needs you. And I care about you all enough that I do not wish for any of you to get hurt.” 

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Lance said airily. “After all, we have a Shiro. Ultimate dad powers, right there.” 

“I’m not even old enough to be anyone’s dad!” Shiro protested. 

“But you acted as Keith’s dad for four years,” Allura said sweetly. 

“Oh my god, did she just… shit, comms are still on,” Lance said, and his voice had an odd stereo effect as he and the rest of the seventh division rounded the corner. “Ms. Altea, I’d just like you to know that that comeback was great, thank you for that. Anyway, heading down now, will keep you guys posted. Peace out.” 

“McClain, I don’t think I will ever get used to your character,” Thace commented as they all stepped into the elevator. With eleven people there, it was a tight fit. 

“Ah, but that’s just part of his charm,” Kogami laughed, and Keith fought to keep his brows from drawing together in a scowl. 

_Hands off, Kogami_ , Keith spat in his thoughts. _Touch my boy and I will end you._

_You know, ending someone else will only get you ended as well, said the rational part of Keith’s brain._

_You shut up. He’s pissing me off. Just let me be pissy for five seconds, okay?_

“We should probably fan out once we get down there,” Thace said, ignoring Kogami’s comment. “Groups of two, I think. And one person will just have to go alone. Ulaz and I know what we’re doing, so we’ll need to partner up with others. And Allura said Bell and Smith should be able to figure it out too? So again, not on the same team. With that in mind…” 

“I can also defuse a bomb,” Regris said. 

“For someone who became an enforcer at 13, you sure seem to have led an eventful life,” Thace said. “Creating your own pharmaceuticals, knowing about explosives… Regris, how can you seem so innocent and yet still be so scary?” 

“I’m just interested in science, that’s all,” Regris mumbled. 

“Right. Well then. Antok, I want you with Ulaz. Shirogane, if you could go with Regris, Garrett and Bell, and… McClain, Kogami, which one of you wants to be alone?” 

“Well, I don’t know much about bomb defusal,” Lance said, “so I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have me going solo.” 

“I also think it’d be better if I went alone,” Kogami stated. “No offense, Inspector, but your hand-to-hand skills are still subpar, and for all we know, we’re walking into a trap. I can fend off anyone who tries to attack me. You can’t.” 

“So it’s settled. Kogami alone, McClain with Smith, and Kogane with me.” 

Keith was kinda hoping he would get to be paired up with Lance, but he supposed it could be worse. Lance could have been paired with Kogami. Keith might have had to slap Thace if he’d tried to put those two together. 

He should probably make an appointment to talk to Shay about this jealousy. Or Shiro. Or maybe even Krolia, who was his mom even though it was still weird to think of her that way. Didn’t people talk about stuff like that with their moms? He really didn’t know. But it would probably help to get the advice of uninvolved parties as well as addressing the issue with Lance himself. Maybe then he’d actually manage to keep a level head. 

They arrived at the ground floor and split up, Keith sparing just the slightest parting glance towards Lance. Of course Lance caught it and winked at him. His heart stuttered as he turned away and followed after Thace, Dominator in hand and all senses on high alert. Thace was the one who knew about bombs, and that meant his job staying with Thace was to make sure no one prevented the inspector from defusing the explosives. The two of them jogged through the building, heading towards one of the areas where no bomb was confirmed and they had only Pidge’s suspicions to go on. The farther they went, the more Keith could feel his own pulse throbbing through his veins, a heavy tempo urging him to hurry, hurry, hurry the fuck up. He wanted to scream and go charging ahead, but he knew it would be the most useless action ever. Rushing like that he’d go right past the explosives without seeing them, and even if he did find them, he would have no clue how to deal with them. And he’d get in trouble again, and he was already dancing on an edge no wider than the blade of a knife. He needed to stay calm, and be patient. 

And what luck that he was so great at both. 

Despite having only Pidge’s guesswork to go on, they managed to find their first bomb fairly easily. Over the comms, they could hear other teams confirming their successes one by one as they found the explosives they’d been sent to find. Hunk and Nyma had already managed to defuse theirs even. 

Thace knelt next to the bomb and examined it. 

“Okay,” he breathed. “I’m going to have to ease off the cover to access the wiring… Stand back Kogane. If I mess up this baby could blow.” 

Keith obediently stepped back, eyes darting up and down the nearby halls for any signs of enemies who might try to hinder their efforts. But not a soul was in sight. 

After about a minute, Keith was getting impatient. 

“You almost done there, Inspector?” 

Thace replied with a yelp that sounded suspiciously like a half-formed swear word. 

“Geez, Kogane, no need to scare me when I’m doing such delicate work!” 

“We’ve still got one more we need to take care of after this,” Keith reminded him. 

“All in good time, all in good time,” Thace replied. “Now, Kogane, would you like to know the secret to bomb defusal? Or at least, the secret for a bomb like this?” 

“Uh…” 

“It’s okay, this is the easy part, c’mere,” Thace said, gesturing. Keith sighed and headed over to stand just behind the kneeling inspector. “So, all you have to do is just snip the right wires,” he said, smiling up at Keith and producing some tool for just that purpose. 

“Yeah, but how do you know which wires to snip? They all look the same,” Keith complained. 

“A good question. A very good question,” Thace said, nodding sagely in such a way that Keith was suddenly terrified because oh fuck this guy actually had no clue what he was doing, did he? He was gonna snip the wrong wires and get them both killed. Keith needed to get them out of there now before this idiot could- 

“The right wires are all of them,” Thace said cheerily, and began snipping away while Keith stood in dumbfounded panic. “There. All done.” Thace put the snips away and dusted off his hands as he got to his feet, he turned to see Keith and his eyes went wide before he burst out laughing. 

“My goodness, Kogane. You should see your face!” 

“Inspector, you scared me half to death there!” Keith complained. 

“Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to frighten you, youngster.” 

“I’m only five years younger than you,” Keith muttered sullenly. He hated when people patronized him. 

“Hey Holts, we’re done here. Where’s the next one?” Thace reported, ignoring Keith. Pidge began explaining as Keith half-heartedly grumbled to himself about people who looked down on others to feel more mature. But he was smiling, because Shiro was like that too. Shiro would always tease him that way, insisting he had to because Keith hadn’t had enough of a childhood. Keith had had plenty of childhood, thank you very much. Just because he hadn’t spent all day watching shows about dinosaurs didn’t make it any less of a childhood, so take that Takashi Shirogane. 

They set off, but very quickly ran into trouble. They were jogging along when a door flew open and someone came out, tackling Thace. Keith automatically raised his Dominator, but after half a second he lowered it again, realizing there was no way he could make that shot without risking Thace. He shoved it back into his belt, then threw himself forward, hitting the attacker and bowling the man off Thace. He and the attacker rolled together, and then Keith was on his feet and pulling out his Dominator but Thace beat him to the shot. The attacker fell. 

“Thanks,” Keith panted. 

“No, thank you,” Thace said. “He really caught me off guard.” 

They moved more warily after that, which turned out to be a good thing since they were attacked two more times before they even made it to the area where their second bomb was supposed to be. 

“Guys, I hate to pressure you, but Regris noticed a timer on his first bomb and assuming they are all on the same timer, you’ve got about two minutes left,” Matt warned. 

“I just found my second,” Kogami reported, and Keith felt that familiar loathing twisting in his gut. Trust Kogami to be the first to get things done, and when he was working alone even. That guy was such a show-off! Honestly, did he have to- 

_Hey jealousy. Shut up. You don’t even know the guy._

_Doesn’t mean I can’t hate him._

_But it does mean that you’re hating him is totally unreasonable._

_Fuck, you’re right. Still hate him._

_We’ll work on it._

“No pressure, eh?” Thace laughed, but the pitch of his laughter was a little high. 

“It’s all right, Inspector. I have confidence in you,” Keith said as reassuringly as he could. 

“Your face after that last bomb begs to differ,” Thace smirked. 

“Yeah, but we didn’t die, so you’ve earned my trust.” 

“And if we die this time?” 

“Then I will haunt your ghostly ass until the end of eternity.” 

“I see.” 

They began searching the area, trying to find the bomb. Unfortunately, unlike their first one, it was not conveniently located right where Pidge had postulated it would be. She insisted it had to be within a hundred-foot radius of her guess, but that unfortunately covered many rooms, some of which they would have to wind their way through the halls to access. They tried to remain calm, but with time ticking on as it was, they couldn’t proceed at their leisure and ended up moving quite frantically. 

“Guys…” Pidge warned. 

Keith threw open another door. Empty again. 

“Guys…!” Matt seconded. 

The next room was clear as well. 

“Guys!” Pidge yelled. 

“Shit!” Thace yelped, and then Keith felt a body slam into him, knocking him into the room he’d been checking. Seconds later, the air was roaring, and heat came from the hallway he’d just been in. 

Keith got to his feet, feeling suddenly shaky. What- 

He exited the room he was in, the one he’d found empty after Matt’s warning, and looked around. A minute ago, the hallway had come to a T, but now there was a giant hole gutting the building where the joint of the T had been, a hole that extended almost to the room Keith had been shoved into. He stared for a moment, completely agog, then turned the other way. 

His heart stopped when he saw the crumpled figure lying fifty feet down the hall from him. He jogged over, suddenly afraid. 

“Inspector?!” he called, sliding to his knees in front of the figure. He carefully found the man’s wrist and felt for a pulse. 

“Inspector Thace?” 

His hands were shaking too much to be certain of anything. He dropped the wrist and resolved to feel for breath when he heard a shout. 

“This way! I think I heard someone down here!” 

It was not the voice of any of his colleagues. 

If it wasn’t one of his colleagues, it was an enemy. An enemy who was coming from the only direction Keith could run right now. He was trapped. 

Keith got to his feet and drew his Dominator. He was an enforcer of the MWPSB. If he was gonna go down, he would go down fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. All my Keith/Krolia interactions are tepid. In my defense though, they barely know each other.


	15. Chapter 15

Things were bad. But they could be worse. Not that knowing things could be worse really made Lance feel better at the moment, but THINGS COULD BE WORSE so that meant that he could SUCK IT UP. 

_Yeah, panic’s still there, and trying to force it down just seems to be making it stronger. How ‘bout you just focus on the problem at hand instead, McClain._

Okay, the problem at hand. He could do that. 

The problem at hand was that Rolo had a broken arm and Lance wasn’t sure how to figure out how to defuse this second bomb they were supposed to take care of. And he had only a minute to try and figure this thing out. 

Lance wracked his head, trying to remember any movies where people had to deal with bombs. There were a few that came to mind, but they were all old ones Hunk had shown him, and surely bombs had gotten more advanced than “just push the button” or “just cut the red wire” as methods of shutting them off. Like, the whole point of a bomb was to explode, why would they make it so simple to keep it from fulfilling that very purpose? 

Sweat formed on his forehead as he stared at the bomb in front of him. Or maybe the sweat had already been there, and he was only now noticing it. There were plenty of things that could have made him sweat up until now: running through the building, the brief scuffle with an invading latent criminal that had broken Rolo’s arm, the prospect of failing in front of several of the best inspectors the MWPSB had ever seen… Which was why he couldn’t fail right now, wasn’t it? 

“So,” he said, swallowing thickly, “what do I do?” 

“Run,” was Matt’s suggestion. “If you knew what you were doing, maybe you could manage it, but there’s no time for you to learn on the fly.” 

Oh. So he was gonna fail after all. 

The building was full of amazing and competent inspectors, and he just had to be the one failure in the crop. He was a blight who tainted people’s hues. He was… 

He was not going to think like that. He was past that. Besides, Keith and Rolo and Nyma had all stood up for him. And while some people thought the words of latent criminals didn’t matter, to Lance, they did. 

“Okay,” Lance said into the comms. He turned his back on the explosive, and he and Rolo started to jog away. They made it across the room when Lance turned back, drawing his Dominator in one fluid motion. 

“Lance, what are you doing?!” Pidge yelped. “There’s only 26 seconds left!” 

The Dominator was already aimed and shifting forms. 

“I’m just trying out a little idea I had,” Lance replied calmly. “The Destroy Decomposer mode should take care of the bomb for us, right?” 

“But if you miss you could do just as much damage as the bomb, if not even more!” Matt yelled. “And that bomb’s a really small target!” 

“Yeah, but I won’t miss,” Lance said, and fired. 

Of course he hit the bomb. What, did you really think he wouldn’t? 

_Yeah, I did kinda wonder if I would,_ Lance admitted to himself. 

Lance’s legs felt like jelly so he staggered over to a nearby chair and sank down in it. 

“You okay there, Inspector?” Rolo asked, and Lance once again felt certain that if it weren’t for the kleptomania, Rolo would never have been a latent criminal. He was too calm and peaceful a guy to have a tainted psycho-pass under normal circumstances. 

“Yeah, I just need a-” Lance cut off as he heard Pidge, then Matt, then Pidge giving warnings to some unknown team or teams. Shit. Lance had thought that he and Rolo had to be the only ones who hadn’t defused their second bomb. 

A dull roar filled the halls, and then silence. 

“How- what- where should I go to help?” Lance asked, struggling to find words as he surged to his feet. What he was too scared to ask was whether anyone had been hurt. Or rather, how many people had been hurt. Who had been hurt? Though really the fact that anyone was hurt was horrifying. Those were his coworkers. Even if they weren’t people he often worked with, they were still his family. And Lance hated losing members of his family. He’d been completely torn up over the deaths of his grandparents, and his aunt had gotten sick and almost died and that had been awful too. And now, some of his work family might be injured, or dying, or even already- 

“I don’t know whether or not they were caught in a bomb but the closest pair to you was over by room 128,” Pidge replied breathlessly. “That’s a- that’s a left from where you are.” 

“Got it. Come on Rolo!” Lance said, taking that left and breaking into a run. He felt bad though, since Rolo had a broken arm that he should really be heading back to the lab to tend. But Rolo followed without complaint, and Lance knew that if he tried to send Rolo back upstairs, the man would refuse to listen. He would do the same if the situation were reversed. And anyone else in their team would as well. Some things were more important than a little discomfort. 

Lance and Rolo followed Pidge’s instructions until they heard the sound of fighting, and then they both burst into a sprint, charging around a corner, Dominators out, and- 

Lance nearly screamed when he saw Keith kicking someone in the gut and sending them flying into the wall. Another enemy grabbed Keith from behind, trying to pin his arms, and Keith struggled as the kicked enemy regained her feet. Lance hit her with a paralyzer before she could hurt his boyfriend. 

Keith writhed his way loose of the man holding him, and somersaulted forward to get away. Lance picked off the second attacker, trying not to flinch when the Dominator switched to Lethal Eliminator for him. Keith looked up and met Lance’s eyes, and a small smile crept onto his face. 

“Nice timing,” he said, and Lance smiled back. He stepped forward, not sure if he meant to help Keith to his feet or hug him to death. Before he could decide, he was interrupted by a shout from behind him. 

“Inspector, we need to get this guy upstairs!” Rolo yelled. Lance forewent a fond reunion with Keith and turned around, blushing. He was supposed to be professional, danggit! That meant no PDA and proper prioritizing! 

Rolo was on the ground next to a crumpled figure, and Lance joined him. 

“Are you sure it’s safe to move him?” Lance asked, because the person on the ground, Inspector Thace, looked to be in pretty bad condition. 

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Rolo replied. “It’s not safe to leave him here, and he needs prompt attention which he can only get upstairs. We have to risk it.” 

“You’re right. Keith, help me out here.” Keith obediently joined them, and he and Lance lifted Thace by the shoulders, eliciting a small moan from the man. Keith looked both alarmed and relieved to hear that moan. Together, they headed back towards the elevators. 

They were almost to the elevators when they ran into Shinya. He greeted them with a feral grin, entirely in his element. Keith scowled when he saw the other man, and Lance wasn’t sure whether to coo over how cute Keith’s scowl was or sigh because what was Keith’s problem? Shinya was a pretty cool guy, and right now, he was a good person to run into, given that there could be more enemies around and they didn’t have much fighting force between the four of them. An unconscious inspector, an injured enforcer, an inspector whose only fighting skill was shooting, and an exhausted enforcer helping to support the unconscious inspector did not a formidable opponent make. But Shinya was an all-around fighting machine, and would be most useful should they be attacked. 

They made it upstairs without incident, and hauled ass back to the lab. As soon as Lance and Keith had lain Thace down so he could be treated, Pidge was on Lance, screaming out an inordinate amount of profanities. 

“You ass!” Pidge screeched. “You absolute scum! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” 

“Uhh… say what?” Lance asked, confused. 

“You moron, you just had to play the hero, didn’t you? Had to be all badass because you are Lance freaking McClain and you can’t just do the sane thing and RUN FOR YOUR FUCKING **LIFE**! Noooo, you’ve gotta turn around and try and shoot the stupid bomb, using a weapon that will decompose whatever it hits _down to its very molecules_ , and if you’d missed you could have destroyed the building single-handedly, and ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY? YOU GODDAMN LUNATIC!” 

Matt stood by, his arms crossed and lips pursed as his sister screamed. He said nothing to calm her down, and didn’t even bother to scold her for swearing. He was just as pissed as she was. 

“Uhhh…” Lance said, still trying to process this. He had almost forgotten about shooting the bomb since the others had gone off and they’d had to go help Keith and Thace. He kind of wanted to point out that it wasn’t the first time he’d made a questionable decision- he did that pretty much every day on the job really- but he also was afraid of the consequences of saying as much in front of the former inspectors who were also present in the lab, tending to Rolo, Thace, and that small nerdy enforcer kid, who was also lying in the medical area. 

“Wait, is she saying you shot one of the bombs with the Destroy Decomposer?” Keith asked. 

“Uh, yeah,” Lance admitted sheepishly. “I thought we were the only ones who hadn’t defused our second bomb, plus I was worried that it would ruin everything if I let it go off, so…” 

“So you shot a tiny-ass target from across the room?” Matt snapped. 

“Hey, that had to be like 24 square inches, that’s not tiny!” Lance protested. 

“From across the room? Woah, nice one, Lance,” Keith breathed at the same time. He held up a fist and Lance bumped it with his own. 

“DO NOT ENCOURAGE HIS DUMBASSERY, KEITH!” Pidge shrieked, her voice almost leaving the range of human hearing. 

“Alright, Ms. Holt,” Allura’s dad said, coming up and resting a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I do think that’s enough. We’re all on the same side here.” 

“You’d be pissed too if you always had to sit in a lab while your idiot friend is off getting himself into trouble with all his bullshit,” Pidge growled, but at a reasonable volume now. 

“Er, sorry Pidge. I just- you know how I am,” Lance soothed. “I’m not trying to worry you, really.” Pidge hmphed. “Besides, I- you know I wouldn’t have tried something like that just ‘cuz. I just wanted to make sure I did everything I could to keep everyone safe. I care about you guys. And as for other stuff I do… well, I wouldn’t even think of trying half of it if I didn’t trust everyone here to bail me out if need be. I may be confident, but I know I’m not infallible.” 

“Just shut up and let me give you a hug,” Pidge muttered grumpily. Lance obligingly opened his arms, and Pidge came over and leaned into him heavily, pushing out his air and eliciting an “oof” from him. 

“But seriously though. Don’t pull shit like that, Lance,” Matt said, uncrossing his arms and going back to his desk. 

“No promises,” Lance sighed. “Anyway, how are things here? Any luck getting the cameras back online after that EMP?” 

“Cameras are still out on the lower floors, but we’ve managed to get a reboot signal out to the Beezers. A few still aren’t online, which could mean they’ve been tampered with, but if they think turning any of our babies against us is gonna be so simple, then boy are they wrong.” Matt and Pidge shared a grin, and Lance wondered just what deviousness these two had worked into their pet robots. Or worse, what deviousness Rolo and Nyma had gotten them to work into the drones. 

“Do you need us to do anything?” Lance asked. 

“Uh, yeah, actually,” Pidge said, finally releasing Lance from her hug. “Hunk and Nyma are on their way back up right now with Antok and Ulaz, both of whom are gonna need medical attention. Antok can’t walk and Ulaz is in a bad way like Thace and Regris. Based on that info, we’re down five people, four of which came from one team. There’s no way Keith can hold a barricade by himself- no offense, Keith- and so we’re gonna need to do a little rearranging. Former Inspector Trigel made some suggestions, and so what we’re gonna do is have the two of you, Shiro, Iverson, and Griffin as a team. Griffin, Iverson, and Shiro should already be at the post already, so don’t keep them waiting.” 

“But then won’t Hunk’s team be short-handed without me, Shiro, and Rolo?” Lance protested. 

“No, Allura’s going over to join them. They’ll be fine.” 

“I hope so.” 

“Hey,” Keith interjected, “The only thing better than having a Shiro is having an Allura. Hunk and Nyma will be as safe as can be.” 

“I really hope so,” Lance sighed, but he turned and headed off for the barricade that had formerly been manned by Keith’s team. He didn’t need to look back to know Keith was right on his heels. 

Honestly, Lance didn’t want to go to the barricade. He wanted to find a quiet corner somewhere and curl up in a ball and just start crying and let Keith comfort him. He was scared. Zarkon hadn’t even showed up and they already had five people who’d been taken out of action. And it had almost been six. If Lance and Rolo hadn’t found Keith so quickly… It made Lance sick just thinking about it. 

Regardless of what Lance wanted, he still had to do what he needed to do, so his feet continued to carry him forward and before he knew it, he was hearing a sour voice saying, “About time you two got here.” 

“Well hello to you, too, Inspector Iverson,” Lance greeted with false cheer. Keith just grunted, and Lance prayed that it didn’t result in Keith getting an earful that the rest of them would have to endure by default of proximity. 

“Seriously though,” Griffin said, backing the grumpy Inspector up, “do you have any idea how boring it is playing Dutch Blitz with just three people?” 

“Wait what?” Lance asked. 

“Well we have to spend the time until Zarkon arrives somehow,” Iverson grumbled. “Cards are easily portable, and Shiro insisted that Dutch Blitz is the best game. Though personally I disagree.” 

“That’s only ‘cuz you’re losing, Mitch,” Shiro teased. 

“The rules are too complicated!” Iverson snapped. 

“Nah, it’s probably just ‘cuz Shiro sucks at explaining the rules,” Keith said. “But I’ll take a deck. Just don’t any of you cry when I start beating you all.” 

“Okay, I have no clue how to play, but now I’ve gotta get in on this just so I can put Keith in his place,” Lance grinned. 

“Oh it is on,” Keith hissed merrily. 

“I still think this would be more fun if you had to take a shot every time you lost…” Griffin sighed mournfully. 

They played for twenty minutes, but then they had to stop because continuing any longer would result in either someone getting sent to the lab for medical treatment, the end of friendships, or both. It was a brutal game, where one could not show any sign of weakness lest it be taken advantage of. 

Lance silently promised to teach his family how to play the next time he went home. 

Time stretched on, and once they’d calmed down from the fierce rivalry of the card game, they moved on to such games as ninja, a janken tournament, and a strange game Griffin taught them called “Where the fuck’s the celery?”. They were working on an improv game Lance had learned back in his high school drama club called “freeze” when Pidge called everyone back to attention. 

“Look alive, people,” she barked. “We’ve got movement in the halls and you’re about to have company.” 

“Pidge, why did that sound like you just quoted the dialogue from one of Hunk’s old movies?” Lance asked. 

“You know, you _could_ just thank me for the warning,” Pidge replied. 

“Thanks Pidge, we appreciate the warning,” Shiro said. 

“I understand you’re trying to keep a lighter mood, but can you please stop the chatter?” Ginoza asked, coming on comms for the first time since the alarm went off. “It’s distracting in a situation where we need to have the utmost focus.” 

“Unfortunately, that seems to be how the seventh division functions,” Kolivan input drily. 

Lance opened his mouth to reply, but he never got a chance because two men came around the corner, and Lance’s throat went dry. Both men were tall. One took tall into the realm of “giant”. The other had a prosthetic arm that couldn’t possibly be legal, as it was modified in such a way that it was clearly meant to be a weapon. 

On instinct, Lance raised his Dominator, but when he pointed it at the prosthetic arm, the gun informed him that this was Inspector Sendak of the MWPSB and not an enforcement target, and the trigger would lock. When he pointed it at the other man, the gun told him that this was Warden Ranveig of the Ministry of Welfare Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, and also not an enforcement target. In other words, Lance couldn’t shoot either of them, making him all but useless. No, he was worse than useless; he was a _burden_. 

“That’s right, twiglet. You can’t shoot us,” Ranveig sneered as Lance lowered the gun with slightly shaky hands. Lance tried not to feel embarrassed as he noticed he was the only one who had raised his Dominator to begin with. The others were all loosening up for a fight- rolling necks, shaking out arms, cracking knuckles, bouncing on the balls of their feet. Lance wondered if maybe it really hadn’t been a mistake that landed him in this job, a thought he hadn’t had in a while. Everyone else had read the situation and had adapted to it, whereas he hadn’t read it, and couldn’t possibly adapt to it since he was lacking. If he survived today, he’d have to hand in his resignation, he was sure of it. 

But right now, that felt like a pretty big “if”. 

“Actually, I heard a rumor that Ministry of Welfare employees can be shot if their coefficients go above 300,” Matt said over the comms, having heard Ranveig’s taunt. 

“It’s not a rumor,” Tsunemori said heavily through the comms. “We’ve seen it happen before.” 

“Seriously? What on earth did I miss?” Kogami asked. 

“Something unpleasant,” Ginoza replied tightly. 

“So, if we get their coefficients above 300, we can shoot?” Nyma asked. Apparently she and the rest of that team were in a similar situation. Lance wondered just how many wardens Zarkon had gotten on his side. 

“In theory, yes,” Matt replied. 

Somehow, that didn’t make Lance feel any better. Because on the one hand, if he could annoy these two men enough to raise their psycho-passes to the point of no return, then he could shoot them and be useful. But on the other hand, if he did, then it just meant everyone had been right about him all along. 

“Do you know,” Sendak drawled, advancing with slow steps that promised to break into a run, “I’m really glad I got to run into you, Shirogane. You’ve always been a thorn in my side. Always acting like you were so perfect, always looking down on everyone, always having to be the best, always trying to please everyone, when really if you want to please people you should have just died like you were supposed to!” Sendak was suddenly right in front of them, aiming a blow at Shiro but Keith was there, blocking him. Lance had to choke back a scream as Keith was knocked aside, unable to stay on his feet under the sheer force of the blow. But it was enough, as Shiro, who had been in somewhat of a daze as Sendak spoke, snapped out of it and went on the offensive, attacking Sendak with just as much force. Only the extra weight from the weaponized arm kept Sendak from being pushed back like Keith had. 

Iverson and Griffin were already squaring off against Ranveig, and Lance wasn’t sure where he should go to help. But then Keith was on his feet and brushing past Lance with a murmur of “Stay back, we’ll handle this.” 

Lance knew he was useless here. He knew he’d just be a burden. But that didn’t mean he wanted to hear it from someone else. Before he could move, Ranveig threw Griffin against the wall, and the man’s Dominator fell from his belt and onto the floor. Ranveig stomped on the gun, cracking it in half and rendering it useless, and then turned to Iverson and threatened “That’s what I’ll do to your spine, little man.” 

Somehow, seeing the arcing current running along the edges of the cracked Dominator, Lance had a feeling that was just the thing to use in this situation. It was a crazy idea. 

But his crazy ideas _did_ tend to yield results. 

As Ranveig advanced on the senior inspector, Lance darted forward and grabbed the broken gun, barely taking care to avoid the sparks as he dashed across the hall, ending up on the far side of the fight from where he’d been. He turned around and felt his heart in his throat as he saw Keith narrowly avoid Sendak’s weaponized arm. Keith backpedaled, and Shiro moved in, a seamless transition between the two, but he didn’t even get close to Sendak before the other man had him dodging that deadly excuse for an upper-body limb. 

Something needed to be done about that arm. And Lance suspected that he literally held the answer in his hands. 

“Pidge. Or Matt. Could a broken Dominator be used to short circuit something?” Lance asked on a private channel between him and the lab. “Like, say… an arm?” 

“What the hey do you mean short-circuit an- ohhhhh,” Pidge said, realization dawning on her as to what Lance was getting at. An arm as large as Sendak’s could not be moved by human strength alone. It was too heavy and unwieldy. That meant that if Lance could somehow disable the engines inside the arm, it would become unusable, and most likely immobilize Sendk as well. “Yeah, totally! Just get in by the joint between the metal of the arm and the flesh of the shoulder. That’s your sweet spot.” 

“Got it, thanks.” 

“Don’t get killed, moron.” 

“I’m really hoping I won’t.” 

As Sendak swung again, Lance charged. Even with it’s internal power helping to move it, the arm was still too slow to change direction if Sendak noticed Lance. The man would only be able to block Lance if he twisted himself into a pretzel, making it the perfect- and really the only- opportunity for Lance to jam the broken Dominator into Sendak’s armpit. 

Sendak yowled as the arcing current flowed into him and his arm. He stiffened from the pain of the shock, and the end of his arm dropped to the floor as it lost power and became too heavy for him to support. Lance had one moment of triumph before Sendak spun and back-kicked him across the hall, leaving Lance wheezing and alarmingly close to the battle between Iverson, Griffin, and Ranveig. 

_Shit!_ Lance thought as he tried to scrabble away but somehow couldn’t find the strength. Was Sendak part mule or something?! How could a human even kick like that! 

_I can’t believe my last thought is gonna be ‘shit’,_ Lance laughed to himself, scrunching up his eyes and waiting for Ranveig to turn away from the eighth division duo and deal his death. 

Arms hauled Lance aside, and he opened his eyes to find that Keith had hooked his arms below Lance’s and was dragging him out of danger. 

“You goddamn idiot,” Keith hissed, but his eyes were worried rather than angry. 

Lance tried to apologize, but all that came out was a wheeze. 

As soon as Lance was safely out of the way, Keith was off, joining the others in the fight against the brute of a man they were up against. As Lance struggled to sit up, he was able to see the Shiro and Keith had somehow off-balanced Sendak so that the man was on the ground, unable to lift himself to his feet thanks to his arm. When he looked over at the fight with Ranveig, he was alarmed to see the giant kneeing Iverson in the gut, but then Griffin had managed to climb up the giant’s back and got him in a choke hold while Shiro managed to deliver a flurry of punches to the man’s left side. The giant was too strong to go down easily, but now that it was four-on-one they were gaining ground. 

When Ranveig was finally subdued, Iverson came over to Lance, who had only just managed to regain his feet. 

“McClain, I don’t know whether you are brilliant or suicidal,” the Inspector snarled. “But either way, you are insane. Now let’s get you to the lab to make sure you didn’t break any ribs.” He wrapped one of Lance’s arms around his shoulders. 

As if on cue, Pidge spoke up in the comms. 

“Shit, Zarkon just got past team 4!” Team 4 was Krolia, Kolivan, and the two guests. 

“Is-” Lance wheezed, “Is everyone… alright?” 

“They’re fighting the district chief and Warden Ladnok,” Pidge said. “But Zarkon’s on his way here, so we’re gonna need backup. That means you, teams 2 and 3! Team 1 is still busy!” 

“Griffin, take McClain,” Iverson ordered, and slung Lance’s arm around Griffin instead. “Kogane, Shiro, with me.” 

Lance thought about protesting, saying he’d be fine on his own, or even trying to come up with a reason why Keith should stay back with him. He didn’t want to be a burden, and he didn’t want Keith getting hurt if he got into yet another fight. But he kept his mouth shut, because it was the orders of a senior inspector and also because he didn’t want to get yelled at for not letting others take care of him when he needed it. 

So Lance didn’t waste what little breath he had. Instead, he watched the three men run off, and prayed. Prayed it wouldn’t be the last time he saw them alive, and prayed that no one else would show up while it was just him and Griffin out here. 

* * *

Keith didn’t like leaving Lance alone. Not when he was injured, not when there were dangerous enemies around, not when he didn’t trust Lance not to get into trouble. But Keith knew that Zarkon was going to be a tough fight, and he would be needed there. 

_Stupid Zarkon and his stupid bombs and his stupid vendetta attacking this stupid building!_ Keith thought angrily as they ran towards the lab. 

They arrived at the same time as the rest of the eighth division, right as Alfor Altea supplexed Zarkon headfirst into the floor. Zarkon didn’t get up. 

Alfor dusted off his hands cheerfully. 

“Well I guess there’s that taken care of then?” he said, smiling brightly. 

“Uhhhhh…” pretty much everyone watching said. 

“I guess we didn’t need backup after all?” Pidge said apologetically into the comms. 

“We’d better be certain he’s out though,” Trigel said, and knelt next to Zarkon and jabbed his side with a needle. “There. He won’t be bothering anyone for at least eight hours. Though I suppose we’re going to have to find some new wardens to make sure he doesn’t escape.” 

After that, things moved quickly. The remaining two teams gave the all clear, and the various attackers were arrested. Given that most of the wardens for the local detention centers were present, they locked everyone in interrogation rooms rather than sending them to one of the detention centers. Lance was brought in and examined, and Keith was able to hang around long enough to find out that he’d only bruised his ribs rather than broken any before Kolivan was dragging him back to the ninth division office to work on reports. Even if they had no district chief to submit their reports to, they still had to write them. 

Despite everything, Keith managed to finish his reports without too much trouble. He sent copies to both Kolivan and Thace since while Thace was officially Keith’s supervising inspector for the day, he was technically out of commission. Once he was done, Keith was faced with a critical decision: sleep, or talk to Lance? 

He was tired, so sleep would be a good idea, plus this was one talk that would be better to have while well-rested. But if he put it off now, he might end up continuing to put it off, just like how he’d kept putting off talking to Lance about that night. 

In other words, no matter which he chose would probably be a mistake. 

Keith chose the new mistake rather than the one he’d already tried, and found himself waiting outside the office of the seventh division. He sat there as Kogami and Shiro came out, then Nyma, then Hunk, and eventually Rolo. As always, Lance was the last one remaining. Good. 

Keith waited a while longer after Rolo left, then entered the office, knocking gently against the door frame as he came in. Lance looked up, his eyes lifeless with exhaustion, and straightened when he saw it was Keith. 

“Keith! Hey, what are you doing here?” 

“Er, well, I was wondering, when you’re done with all that, could we… talk? Maybe? Please? We don’t have to, of course, I would totally understand if you just want me to get lost or if you’re too tired, but I-” 

“Sure,” Lance said, interrupting Keith mid-ramble. “Talking sounds great. Just give me a minute to finish this up and we’ll be good to go.” 

Keith awkwardly took a seat and wiped his hands on his trouser legs. While he waited for Lance to finish up, he kept running through all the things he needed to say, but unfortunately this made him start to panic because he became increasingly certain that he was forgetting parts. He could not afford to forget parts. He had to get this right. He’d already used up too many chances, and he might not get another this time. 

Lance pushed back from his desk, and Keith glanced up. Lance’s computer was off, meaning he was done for the night. It was now or never. 

“Alright, so-” Lance began, but Keith interrupted him. 

“Actually, Lance, could you… could you let me talk? Please? There’s something I need to say, and if I wait I might chicken out again, and just… I can’t do that to you. You need to hear it.” 

“Okay,” Lance agreed quietly. His voice was suddenly hoarse. 

Keith had to swallow several times before he could begin. 

“So, I know we’ve had some problems, and I cannot even begin to tell you how sorry I am, but before that, there’s something you should know.” 

“Okay.” 

“No, be quiet. If you’re commenting I might mess up. It’s that- I uh, I can’t have sex with you.” Shit, that hadn’t come out right. This was already falling to pieces. 

“Uh, I mean, sorry, that wasn’t what I meant. Let me start over. I can’t… I can’t stand the thought of losing you in any way. There are certain risks that are just too much, and just- Lance. I love you. I love you so much. But that night… you were in danger. I know you think I wouldn’t hurt you- and I wouldn’t!- but… there was a moment where I thought ‘wouldn’t it be better if this guy was an enforcer too?’ Like, everything between us would be so much easier. But that’s… you were meant to be an inspector Lance. You can do great things as an inspector. You have done great things as an inspector. And you’re someone who belongs out in the world, being free, and the fact that I would even think of keeping you from all that just for my own selfish reasons is completely inexcusable. And I didn’t know how to tell you that. I- I didn’t want you to think less of me. You’re always arguing that enforcers are people too, and that we’re not any different, and I didn’t want to let you see that I really am different, that deep down, I’m a monster.” 

“Keith, do you think I haven’t thought about that too?” Lance asked softly. “Do you think I haven’t imagined what life would be like being an enforcer alongside you? We could share a room, people wouldn’t throw the inspector/enforcer dynamic in our faces as a reason we shouldn’t date, people would stop pestering me about my hue… To want things to be simpler doesn’t make you a monster.” 

“But I actually thought about trying to taint you!" Keith almost shrieked, desperate to get through to Lance. "I pondered what it would take to send you over the edge so that you would become a latent criminal! It’d probably be less cruel to just kill you than to intentionally taint your psycho-pass.” 

“Keith, you’re not a monster. I promise. You would never have been chosen as an enforcer if you were. So if that’s what’s been bothering you then-” 

“It’s not just that,” Keith admitted miserably. “It’s… that night was great. It was really great. Everything about it was just… I don’t think I’ve ever been happier than I was with you then. But… I… There was no movie night with Shiro, Lance. Well, we did end up having one, but it wasn’t pre-planned like I told you. I just- if anyone had realized that you’d taken me out of the building and then fallen asleep with me present… it might have cost you your job. And… I don’t want that. I want to be able to see you. To be with you. But also, I want you to be happy, and helping people does that for you. Every time you manage to bring someone in without using your Dominator, I can see how glad you are that you were able to make a difference and protect someone. You love this job, and I don’t want to take that away from you. 

"And I thought that if I told you that, you’d just brush it off, because you always do that when I worry about what dating me will do. I want to have sex with you again, because, god, who wouldn’t want more of something so good, but I’m scared, Lance. Scared of losing you, or hurting you, or getting you into trouble… I’m so scared. And you were already talking about a second time and I didn’t want to say no and disappoint you and also I just didn’t want to say no because that sounded wonderful, and so rather than saying no I just chose to dodge the subject and then I ended up avoiding you rather than trying to bring it up. I know I shouldn’t have done that, I know that was a mistake, and I know I messed up, and for all that, I am sorry.” 

“Keith, I…” There were tears on Lance’s face. And on Keith’s face, for that matter. Keith felt like he was some kind of wrecking ball, just smashing Lance’s emotions without a care. He really was the worst. 

“I’m sorry too,” Lance said. 

Did Keith hear that right? 

“I’m so sorry, you’re right, I always disregarded your concerns, and I shouldn’t have done that. A better boyfriend wouldn’t have. If I had paid your fears a little more mind…” 

“Lance, no, this is all my fault. This whole situation. I avoided you when you didn’t deserve it all because I was too scared to face you with my problems, and I didn’t even give you any kind of explanation. Then, when I realized my mistake and was going to try and remedy things, I went and yelled at you because I was worried. You don’t apologize to people by yelling at them, I know that. But you really scared me, and then I got impatient waiting for you to be done with work, and then I ended up shouting rather than talking things out like I wanted. And as if that wasn’t enough, I went and read too much into your interactions with people and convinced myself you were cheating! I knew I was being paranoid! I knew I was overreacting, and yet I still got mad at you, and was unspeakably cruel to you, and honestly, even as I was saying such mean things to you, a part of me was enjoying it. A part of me was _glad_ I was hurting you. But… a part of me also regretted every word even as I said them. 

“P-point is, this is all my fault, and I love you and want you back but I’m not good for you and you deserve better.” Keith looked down at his feet in shame as he finished. A moment later, two feet joined his, and he looked up to see Lance right in front of him. 

“First off,” Lance said, raising an index finger to keep count, “like I said, I should have paid more attention to the things you were worried about. Secondly, if the roles were reversed and you were the one who went into that hostage situation unarmed, I think I might have yelled at you afterwards too. Earlier today Pidge yelled at me for worrying her- you saw that. So while it hurt that you got mad at me, I don’t think you were wrong. And as for the jealousy… that one kinda is on you, since maybe if you’d tried talking to me about it we might have straightened things out. The ironic thing is that two of the three things you mentioned that time? Those were me trying to find a way to fix things with you. I was having lunch with Nyma and Pidge to talk about Nyma’s crush on Matt and try and help them work things out, but then we ended up discussing ways I could make up with you instead. And then with Hunk, I think you know by now that I was baking with him with you in mind. And… crap, I lost count of what point I was on. Whatever. Next up, was it that you enjoyed hurting me, or that you enjoyed having any effect on me, even a negative one? Because, that’s still pretty rotten of you, but at least it wasn’t pure spite? I dunno. But what this all boils down to is: it was not _all_ your fault. It was _our_ fault. You and me both. So, last but not least, I can decide for myself what’s good for me and whether or not I deserve better, and honestly, Keith, I don’t think there is better than you. We dated for eight months where you were good for me, and even when we were fighting you still stood up for me and had my back. If you want me back, then good, because I want you back too.” 

Holy shit. Had Lance really just said he wanted Keith back? Keith felt himself swooning a little. He blamed it on the rough day he’d had, and gratefully accepted the support of Lance’s arms around him. 

“Y-you do?” 

“Keith, when have I ever lied to you?” 

“Yeah, I guess lying is more up my alley,” Keith laughed weakly. “I’m still sorry Lance. I can’t promise I’ll change, but I will try. I want to be good to you. I want to be worthy of your love.” 

“Oh Keith, you’ve always been worthy,” Lance breathed. 

And then their lips met. 

It was a perfect moment, but one that didn’t stay perfect for long, as they were interrupted by the sound of a gasp from the doorway. They turned to face the noise, still holding onto each other, and saw none other than Allura standing in the doorway. And she did _not_ seem to be okay with this development.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you found this a little anti-climactic. I really suck at writing battles, but also I wanted the former paladins to get to do _something_ in the end. Plus it's not like everything's over just because they caught Zarkon...


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight Psycho-Pass season 2 spoilers get mentioned.

“Explain yourselves,” Allura commanded. “ _Now_.” 

Lance and Keith shared an uneasy glance before Lance reluctantly released Keith and stepped forward. 

“What it is,” he said slowly, swallowing audibly, “is that we’re dating.” 

“I beg your pardon,” Allura said flatly. Her eyes were ablaze, and Lance was terrified. He only ever seemed to show his worst side in front of this woman. 

“I said we’re dating,” Lance repeated, a hint of petulance creeping into his tone. 

“A relationship between an inspector and an enforcer is not allowed,” Allura said coldly. 

“Show me where it says that,” Lance replied, crossing his arms. “Go on, pull out the rule book and show me. I’ll wait. But for the record, I have studied the rules quite thoroughly, and there is nothing in there that says that romantic relationships between an inspector and an enforcer are not permissible.” 

“Lance, stop it,” Keith hissed nervously, tugging on Lance’s shirt. Lance shook him off. 

“It is not in the rules because it is simply common sense,” Allura argued. 

Lance snorted. 

“Ah yes,” he sneered. “Here we go. Next thing you’ll say is that I’m not in my right mind and you’ll recommend me for a mental examination, and Shay will tell you that I had one just last month and passed with flying colors, thank you very much.” 

God, he was just so sick of this shit. He was sick of people judging him, of people telling him what to do, of people being shocked to find out that he really was sane. He loved Keith. What was wrong with that? 

It was things like this that made the prospect of being an enforcer seem appealing. People wouldn’t nag him about his hue, they wouldn’t insist on having him take mental examinations all the flipping time, and they wouldn’t say a thing about him dating Keith. 

“Actually, I was thinking of recommending you for disciplinary action,” Allura said. Lance’s eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything more Keith was stepping in front of him, panic in his eyes. 

“Allura, no!” Keith pleaded. “It was my fault. I started this. I-” 

“Now hold on a minute there!” Lance squawked, grabbing Keith’s arm and turning the other to face him. “You started this? I’m the one that asked you out, not the other way around. And you’re the one who was always trying to say that it was a bad idea, so don’t you try and take the blame for this one, Keith.” 

“Lance, we literally just had a conversation about how I don’t want you to lose your job, so shut up and let me do this one thing for you!” 

“What, and you think I’m gonna prioritize my job over you?! Keith, there is no way in hell that I am letting you rot in a detention center for the rest of your life, especially not when it’s to save my own skin!” 

“Both of you, enough!” Allura shouted. Both men froze. They slowly turned back to Allura, wariness in their postures. “Keith, I suggest you return to your quarters. McClain-” Allura got no farther before Pidge interrupted. 

“Hey guys? We might have a problem.” 

Having a problem had never sounded so wonderful to Lance. 

“What now?” Allura snarled into the comms. 

“So about ten minutes ago we spotted three of the tenth division enforcers,” Pidge began. “And so we called up Kolivan and he sent Krolia down to meet them and see what was up, and uh…” 

“What happened?” Allura asked through gritted teeth. 

“So,” Matt said, picking up where Pidge had left off, “when Krolia met them, they were acting kinda shifty, and then that Acxa chick suddenly was like ‘For Narti’ and she kinda pulled out a pistol and shot Krolia? Like, just in the shoulder, nothing fatal if she gets medical attention, but… something really weird is going on.” 

“I knew we shouldn’t have trusted them,” Kaltenacker said over the comms. 

“But what if there’s something else going on?” Lance asked. Something about it seemed off to him. Why would there only be three of them, and no Lotor? Plus, he just couldn’t bring himself to believe that Lotor could be innocent. That guy was too shady in Lance’s opinion. “What if Lotor’s behind this too? When I talked to Ezor, she implied that Lotor manipulated all the current enforcers into being latent criminals to begin with. What if he’s manipulating them again?” 

“It is possible that you are both right,” Kolivan said. “Perhaps none of them can be trusted.” 

“Well whatever the case, we have a wounded enforcer who needs medical attention, and three intruders who need to be apprehended. Holts, locations please,” Iverson barked. 

“Krolia’s on the ground level, near the main entrance,” Matt said. “The enforcers currently are in the elevator, and they pressed the button for the twelfth floor. And somehow I doubt it’s a coincidence that they are headed for the same floor where we are currently holding all the detainees from today’s invasion.” 

“We need to get up there,” Lance said, and he and Keith rushed past Allura and out the door. They left the older woman in the dust as they raced for the stairwell and ascended to the twelfth floor, barrelling through the hallways towards the interrogation rooms. As they got closer, they slowed down, preferring caution over speed when they were up against opponents armed with at least one reasonably reliable projectile weapon that was guaranteed to inflict pain regardless of employer. They also began peering around corners before entering new hallways, just to be safe. 

Lance was the one peering around the corner when he finally spotted them. He drew his head back slowly so as not to attract undue attention with a quick movement, then crouched, holding out a hand so Keith knew not to proceed. 

The three of them were together, which further fueled Lance’s suspicion that something was not what it seemed. If he were breaking into an enemy lair for nefarious purposes, he would want his forces to spread out. There was safety in numbers, certainly, but the trio would be able to get more done by splitting up. 

Given the closeness of the rogue enforcers’ proximity, Lance opted to use an impromptu hand code to communicate with Keith. He held up three fingers to indicate that all three of them were there. Next he pointed to Keith and himself and used two fingers held upside down to show walking, meaning they would go out together. Then he pointed to himself, held up two fingers, and made a gun with his hand and mimicked shooting, saying he would shoot two with his Dominator. Then he pointed to Keith, held up one finger, and then made his hands into fists and made punching motions to indicate that Keith should immobilize the last one so they could question her. 

Keith gave Lance a blank and vaguely concerned look. Lance tried again, but rather than watch it all, Keith rolled his eyes and stood, leaning over Lance to peer around the side. 

“They’re all there,” he whispered. “Let’s go ahead and attack on three.” 

Lance resisted the urge to slap a palm to his forehead, lest it make noise and attract the rogue enforcers. Lance was vaguely aware of Allura joining them as Keith counted to three with his fingers. The two of them charged out, Lance firing at Zethrid and Acxa with his Dominator. He hit Zethrid, and she fell over, paralyzed, but Acxa managed to dodge. Lance aimed again, but Ezor was already running at him, and oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap- 

Allura stepped forward to meet Ezor’s attack, saving Lance’s neck. The older woman easily overpowered the enforcer, while Keith and Acxa traded punches and kicks. Acxa managed to land one on Keith’s nose, bloodying it, but then Keith tackled her and she was subdued as well. They had just finished up when the eighth division arrived. 

“I guess we’re a bit late here,” Iverson said. “Well done, Ms. Altea.” 

Lance bristled at the implication that Allura was responsible for their success, but he let it go. 

“Let’s move these two into the interrogation rooms,” Allura said. “An empty one, I think. And if you could please take Ms. Zethrid to the medical bay until she wakes up, Mitch, I would appreciate that.” 

“Surely we should just put them with the others,” Kaltenacker protested. 

“Acxa, what did you mean when you shot Krolia?” Lance asked on impulse. It seemed like the fastest way to get to the bottom of this. “Why did you say ‘For Narti’?” 

“Lotor’s holding her hostage,” Ezor said when Acxa didn’t answer. “He found out about us coming to warn you, and wanted to punish us. So he’s holding Naomi, and he told us if we didn’t attack you guys he’d kill her.” 

“Seems awful convenient to me,” Leifsdottir said. 

“No, it makes sense,” Lance said. “If you were a master manipulator and your plan fell apart, what would you do? Ideally, you would just come up with a new plan to achieve your goal. But for Lotor right now, his goal is unattainable unless he takes out his opposition: the MWPSB. He needs to get rid of us, and he also wants to get rid of his enforcers since they betrayed him. By sending them to attack us, he can theoretically do both. The more of us they kill or incapacitate, the better for him. Plus, it’ll raise their psycho-passes so that any Dominator pointed at them will switch to Lethal Eliminator mode. It’s a suicide mission. And, most importantly, it creates an opportunity to clear his name. The enforcers attack us, they are clearly the bad guys, and everything they said was just to slander his name.” 

“Exactly,” Acxa said dully. “He knows our weak points- he’s been playing on them for years. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. And he knows-” Acxa took a shuddering breath, trying to remain composed, but she looked to be on the verge of tears. “He knows that if he threatens Naomi, we won’t disobey. Except we can’t obey because it’s just wrong, and even if we did obey there’s no guarantee he’ll let her live, but if we don’t at least show some semblance of obedience then he’ll definitely kill her! In such a situation, what are we supposed to do?” Acxa looked around at everyone gathered, tears in her eyes. 

“I don’t think there’s a correct answer for that,” Iverson said, surprising everyone. “You have to choose whichever option gives the best outcome, and what the best outcome is will vary depending on who you’re talking to. Some people would say to abandon Narti and come help us. Some would say to go ahead and attack us wholeheartedly. Some would say that you should have just killed Lotor, regardless of the cost. But in the end, whatever you choose is still only the best option. That doesn’t make it right. It’s an unfortunate position to be in.” 

“Well at this point it’s safe to say the matter is no longer in your hands,” Allura said. “It is our concern now, and we will do our best to safely reunite you with your friend.” 

“Meaning we’re under arrest and that’s that,” Ezor sighed. 

Lance opened his mouth to argue, to assure her that, no, of course they weren’t just going to throw the three of them in jail, but Allura spoke up first. 

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” she said. Lance shut his jaw and clenched it, unable to argue with Allura’s decision but resenting it all the same. At least she had the decency to seem unhappy with this outcome. “Now, as I said earlier, let’s get these two into an interrogation room, and then we can all get some rest before we decide how to proceed.” 

Lance stayed still as everyone was spurred into motion to follow Allura’s orders. It didn’t sit right with him to arrest these women for something outside their control. And what about Narti? Shouldn’t something be done to help her? A part of him wanted to hunt down Lotor on his own, right then and there, so that maybe she would stand a chance, but Lance was just one guy, and people got mad at him when he pulled crazy stunts on his own, and sometimes happy endings just weren’t possible. He couldn’t always do things his way. It was like Iverson had said: sometimes you could only choose the best option, not an option that was _right_. 

But Lance was not about to make an uninformed decision. He made himself scarce for a few minutes, then, when the coast was clear, he slipped into the interrogation room where Acxa and Ezor were. He had a lot of things that he wanted to ask them. 

* * *

Allura felt drained. There was so much going on, and she barely had time to catch her breath even. She’d only been back for two days- almost three, really, yet she was certain she had bags under her eyes to match those sported by everyone else here. All because of Lawrence Lotor. 

At one time, Allura had been convinced that Lawrence was _the one_. He’d come to work at the MWPSB, all young and handsome and suave and idealistic. He’d been charming, and kind, and she’d felt something there. Apparently he had too as he’d asked her out and they had dated for a while. And the more time they spent together, the more Allura felt like he was everything she’d ever wanted. 

And then Shiro had gotten demoted. At first, it didn’t change anything. Lawrence was properly supportive of Allura through such a difficult time. But then she realized that Lawrence was supporting her through the struggle of trying to handle the chaos in her division alone. He didn’t give a damn about Shiro. He couldn’t care less that her partner who had been such a promising inspector was now a latent criminal and all the confusing emotions that came with such an event- betrayal, fear, concern, disappointment, grief. It was none of Lawrence’s concern that Shiro’s brother had died, or that two wonderful enforcers had died, or that Shiro was suffering. And Lawrence certainly didn’t care that Keith was essentially orphaned by those events. When Allura mentioned that she was considering taking Keith in herself, at least until he was ready to be on his own, Lawrence had taken it as a joke. 

For years after that, Allura had regretted breaking it off with Lawrence. She would sometimes ask herself if maybe she hadn’t overreacted. But now she suspected that she had gotten a glimpse of the real Lawrence that time. He didn’t care about people. He might not have even cared about her. 

That thought made her heart ache. 

But there were things that needed to be done. Her father and his friends who were also like family to her had to be protected, which they had done. And then, just when she was starting to feel like she could face the last lingering feelings for Lawrence, she discovered Keith and McClain together. 

McClain, who in some ways reminded her quite a bit of Lawrence when he first started at the MWPSB. He had the same idealism, the same confidence, and while she was seeing more of his worse sides, she could still tell that he possessed that same charm. Even if they had met under happier circumstances, she would have had a hard time liking him. She knew it was unfair, and she wanted to give him a chance, but now that she’d seen him with Keith… 

Allura felt like it was her fault Keith had become a latent criminal. Like if she’d done things a bit differently, he might not have had such an extreme negative reaction to Shiro’s demotion. She’d known that Keith’s psycho-pass was delicate. She’d known she’d needed to tread carefully when giving him such bad news, and yet she’d allowed her own feelings about the situation to get the better of her and had bluntly told him all the relevant details without any filters. She had felt so numb right then, and hadn’t even considered how Keith would feel. 

Life had treated Keith rather roughly, and he deserved the best to make up for that. So seeing him in the arms of a man who reminded her so much of Lawrence, the same Lawrence that had disregarded Keith’s circumstances so easily, was not something Allura could accept. It left the taste of bile in her throat. She could not allow Keith to go through the same things she had experienced. He would likely resent her for intervening, but it was something that had to be done for his own good. 

So once Ezor and Acxa had been seen into an empty interrogation room, Allura saw Keith to his quarters. She ignored the way he slammed the door behind him once he entered, trying to express his anger with her. He could be angry all he wanted. She had failed him once, and would not do so again. And so once the door was closed, she used her authority as a Ministry of Welfare central employee to put a lock on the door so that it would not open for anyone until noon the next day. Or rather, that day, as it was almost two in the morning. She needed a guarantee that Keith wouldn’t be sneaking out and McClain wouldn’t be sneaking in. 

That was one matter dealt with. And now they just needed to come up with an answer for what to do about Lawrence. 

But sleep first. Allura satisfied herself with sending out a memo to all inspectors in the seventh, eighth, and ninth divisions, as well as Tsunemori, requesting that they present themselves that morning at ten o’clock sharp. That way they’d be able to get a good night’s sleep beforehand. Once that was done, Allura made her way to the chambers she had taken over for the duration of her stay, and was asleep almost before her head even hit the pillow. 

* * *

Hunk was too good for the world. Allura had thought so since the day she met him, and she was even more certain of it after he brought coffee and pastries that he had made to the meeting and shared them with everyone. It was no wonder he managed to maintain such a clear psycho-pass, since he obviously had a pure soul. There was just no other explanation for Hunk. 

The meeting had been slow to start, because Thace had regained consciousness shortly before it was to begin, and wanted to attend. Of course, actual attendance was impossible given his condition, but the Holt siblings were able to set up video conferencing for him, with Pidge coming to the meeting room while Matt went to the medical wing to make sure everything was in working order. Pidge had been shaking from exhaustion, and Allura had been a little alarmed. But she was more alarmed by the fact that, after Pidge informed them that the video conferencing was all set, McClain, who had been seated with his head down on the table, had reached out behind him to pat the girl’s back at an awkward angle. 

“Get some sleep, Pidge-bird,” he’d said. 

Pidge had rolled her eyes- and Allura had half-expected them to just roll right on back as a herald of Pidge fainting- but had laughed and returned the pat with a fond comment of, “Hypocrite.” 

Clearly Keith was not the only one who had fallen under McClain’s charms. 

The course of the meeting identified two main points: first, that they could do little to track down Lotor or lure him out since they weren’t sure what his exact goals were, and second, that the best course of action would be to try and gather information about Lotor’s whereabouts at five locations they had identified as likely hiding spots based on the tampered scanners and crime statistics. They had four bars and a hotel. Apparently the seventh division had been investigating two of the bars, Palen Bol and Vrepit Sa, just before things had gotten rough, and so they would take over staking out those two locales while the eighth division would take the other two bars, Galra and Sincline, and the remainder of the ninth division would team up with the visitors to keep an eye on Hotel Daibazaal. 

Throughout the course of the meeting, Allura paid attention to McClain. Not that there was much to pay attention to- he kept his head down on the table the entire time, and the only indication that he was awake at all came when he and Hunk were sharing their prior intel on the two bars. Allura did notice other things though, like how the other inspectors seemed to hold some light contempt towards McClain, voicing disdain towards his reckless tendencies. Inspector Kaltenacker even went so far as to say McClain was prone to “harebrained ideas” and that his actions could be quite alarming. Aside from Hunk, the most positive attitude towards McClain seemed to be a sort of morbid fascination towards what lunacy he might get up to next. Clearly, the youth was not suited to this job, and was most certainly not a partner who would be any good for Keith. 

Allura was the last to leave, and as soon as she was out the door she was accosted by a rather irate Shiro. 

“We need to talk,” Shiro hissed. He waited until everyone else was out of the hallway completely before continuing. “Why the hell have you placed Keith under house arrest? I went to go see how he was doing in light of last night’s events, only I couldn’t get in because his room was sealed! Why would you do that?!” 

“I had to,” Allura said quietly. “Last night I discovered that he and Inspector McClain are… their relationship is closer than is acceptable.” 

“What, already?” Shiro asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “Rolo said he thought they’d work things out soon, but I didn’t expect- hang on, why does them dating equate to Keith being under house arrest?” 

“So you anticipated this? And you did nothing?” Allura demanded, ignoring Shiro’s questions. 

“We all knew those two were on the verge of getting back together,” Shiro said. “But again, what does that have to do with Keith being-” 

“Getting back together?!” Allura’s voice rose in both volume and pitch. “You mean that wasn’t the first such transgression on their parts?” 

“I see you have no intention of answering me, thanks for that, and yes, they’ve been dating for a while now, just the past month they’ve been fighting.” 

“Shiro, how could you let something like this happen?!” 

“Look, I know an enforcer and an inspector dating is a bad idea, but-” 

“That’s not that problem here!” 

“It’s not? Then what is?” 

“The problem is that it’s McClain of all people!” 

“I know you two got off to a rough start, but that’s no reason to be so antagonistic towards him, Allura. You’re better than that.” 

“This is not a personal grudge, Shiro!” Allura hissed. “Based on his character, McClain is not someone to be trusted. Can’t you see? He is exactly like Lawrence!” 

Shiro looked stunned. He blinked several times, before shaking himself. 

“Allura, I don’t think I’ve ever heard something so ridiculous come from you before,” he said slowly. Allura felt a twinge of hurt. Shiro had been her partner for five years. He had been her best friend and her ally almost since the day she met him. Yet here he was standing against her when she was just trying to look out for someone they both cared about. 

“Ridiculous? Takashi, the similarities are overwhelming. He has the same disregard for the rules, the same recklessness, the same overconfidence… there is just so much that is identical. They exude the same kind of presence even. I know you didn’t know Lawrence quite as well as I, but I would have thought you would notice it too.” 

“You’re right, I don’t know Lotor as well as you. But I know Lance, and I can tell you that those similarities are only on the surface. Disregard for rules? Lance respects the rules just as much as any inspector. He will break them if he feels there is need to do so, but that’s because rules cannot account for every possible situation. There are always exceptions, and he knows that and will work with them rather than trying to force the exceptions into the rules! And recklessness? While I can’t argue with that, Lance would never do anything that would risk others. He chooses to risk himself to protect others, whereas Lotor would risk others to protect himself. And overconfidence? Lance’s confidence is all for show. He honest-to-god thinks that him becoming an inspector might have been a mistake, despite all the good he’s done at this job in less than a year. He is _nothing_ like Lotor.” 

“But he admitted it himself!” Allura pressed. “During our meeting just now, he said that Lotor thinks they are alike!” 

“Lotor might think that, but Lotor’s wrong,” Shiro argued. “Lotor barely knows Lance, same as you. But those of us in the same division as him? We do. We know what Lance is like. You broke up with Lotor because you said you realized he didn’t care about people. But Lance does. From day one, he has made that clear to all of us. He treats enforcers with respect even though we’re latent criminals, and he gets annoyed by any insinuation that we are less than human. He spends hours calling his family every week, even though it leaves him exhausted, because he’s worried his family members will be hurt if he doesn’t say hi or tries to cut his calls short. He takes it personally any time one of us is injured. And if he could, he would make sure that every person we’re sent to apprehend is brought in alive, and that they can be rehabilitated in the end. He cares so much about people it actually kind of worries me, because he always puts them before himself. If anything, he is the complete opposite of Lotor, so if that’s your only issue with Lance and Keith’s relationship then you had better go apologize to Keith and tell him he has your blessing.” 

“But-” Allura cut herself off and took a deep breath to compose herself. “Shiro, please try to understand. I only want what’s best for Keith.” 

“I know that. But you don’t seem to have considered the possibility that what’s best for Keith is in fact Lance.” 

“Because he’s not!” 

“Actually, he is! I’ll admit I had my doubts too, especially after their big fight last month, but… I really think they both learned from it, and will be better for it. And besides, if you look at Keith’s psycho-pass check-ups… they’re pretty telling. About a year ago, when your promotion first started getting close, his coefficient started to climb. By the time Lance actually got here, Keith was already up to about 280-285. But that’s where it stopped. His coefficient actually balanced out once Lance arrived, even though the way Keith is with strangers I really expected it to continue to climb. And by the end of Lance’s second week, it was dropping fast. And from the end of Lance’s first month to about a month ago, so a period of almost seven months, Keith’s coefficient averaged about 120. He never went higher than 150, and even got down to 98 once. This from the guy who hasn’t dropped below 170 since he became a latent criminal. Yeah, it’s been way up since their fight, but I’m sure that it’ll drop back down again. And it’s not just his coefficient. Keith’s been happy; happier than I’ve ever seen him. And if you try and take that away from him, I will fight you over it.” 

“I’m not trying to take Keith’s happiness away,” Allura argued, her voice softer but still tense. “I’m trying to protect him from someone who might hurt him.” 

“Any time a person allows themself to care about someone else, they are giving the person they care about the potential to hurt them. If you want to protect Keith from people who might hurt him, then that means removing every person he counts on in his life, not just Lance. It means Hunk, it means the Holts, it means Rolo and Nyma, it means, me, and it also means you. But I guess that is what you’re planning on doing isn’t it? Placing Keith under house arrest is just a precursor for you sending him back to the detention center.” 

Allura’s mouth moved up and down, but in her shock no words came out. As if she’d send Keith back to the detention center! Once he’d tested positive for having the potential to be an enforcer, she had gone to offer him the job. She’d passed several other cells whose residents had found ways to make things homey- collections of books or video games or artwork or dried flowers or other creature comforts all helped add warmth to some of the cells- but when she’d come to Keith’s cell she’d been horrified to see he’d made no adjustments to the stark white chamber. He’d been seated on the floor in a corner, glaring at the wall across from him, and hadn’t responded to Allura’s presence at all. She came a second time, and a third with the same results. It was only when she brought Shiro that they were able to communicate with Keith at all. Keith would wither away to nothing in there. She couldn’t possibly send him back. 

Allura was still trying to find her voice when someone else spoke up, interrupting the two of them. 

“You can’t send Keith to a detention center!” Allura and Shiro both turned to find McClain himself standing there, an expression of horror on his face. “B-besides,” he added, “there’s- there won’t be any need to do that. Ms. Altea, you said in the meeting that you’ll take our reports, so I figured I ought to give you this as well.” 

McClain held out a paper envelope, an object that was only used for one thing anymore. 

“Lance, that better not be a resignation,” Shiro said sternly. McClain nodded. “Lance, what do you think you’re doing?!” 

“What I probably should have done after my first day here,” Lance said in a tired voice. “All I ever do is mess up, and now… If I go, then there’s no problem with Keith staying. I can always find another job, but this is it for Keith. If he doesn’t have this, then there’s nothing. And I can’t do that to him. Not when I’m the one who pushed things this far. 

“I’ll stick around until we’ve got this mess with Lotor sorted out, and then after that I’ll be out of your hair. No more alarming people with my harebrained ideas. Then you can find a new inspector who isn’t such an idiot all the time, and everyone will be better off.” 

Allura hesitated. The way McClain was acting right now certainly seemed to reflect what Shiro had just said about him. But if he was like Lawrence, he would be a really good actor. After all, it had taken four years before she’d seen through Lawrence’s act, and they had been dating and spending lots of time together. 

Shiro beat Allura to a decision. He snatched the envelope and ripped it in half. 

“Hey, I spent all night writing that!” McClain protested, but Shiro just kept ripping. 

“You are not resigning, Lance,” Shiro insisted. “You’ve worked hard and you’ve done a good job and maybe this bureau needs your so-called harebrained ideas. Now I suggest you go get some sleep since you apparently wasted your time doing unnecessary things last night rather than taking care of yourself.” 

“But-” 

Shiro thrust an arm out, pointing towards the elevators, and McClain’s protest died out. 

“You should be able to get in at least a nap before you have to go out this evening,” Allura said, remembering an exchange from just half an hour previously that had alarmed her, yet had also completely gone over her head in some ways. 

_“Get some sleep, Pidge-bird.”_

_“Hypocrite.”_

“I-I… Sorry,” McClain said, and then headed off. 

“I’m not sure whether to scold you or thank you for interfering just then, so I’m not going to say anything,” Allura told Shiro haughtily. 

“I think I’m okay with that,” Shiro replied. 

They went their separate ways after that. Allura had work to do, after all. Yet despite that, she had a feeling she was going to end up talking to a few more people to see if they would confirm what Shiro had said. 

* * *

Lance did nap a bit like he was told, since he was pretty tired. But he was pretty sure Shiro and Allura had been telling him to nap right up until it was time to head out, and Lance ended up waking up after only two hours of sleep, which left him with a good three hours before he was supposed to head back to Vrepit Sa. 

With nothing better to do, Lance went to the gym to run and kill some time, and afterwards he went to the cafeteria to eat. It was largely empty, save one table by the window that was occupied by Tsunemori. Lance felt uncertain approaching her, but he really did prefer eating with someone else. Even if the last time he’d awkwardly asked to join someone had been the time he’d asked out Keith, and that was more about spending time with his crush rather than not being alone. 

“Hey, uh, mind if I join you?” Lance asked. Tsunemori jumped a little and looked up; apparently he’d caught her by surprise. She smiled, and it broke Lance’s heart a little to see that this woman who was only a year older than him had the saddest smile he’d ever seen. 

“Sure,” she said. “I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you a bit.” 

“You have?” Lance asked, freezing with his butt still only about halfway to the chair. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you. I was talking to Inspector Garrett earlier and he had plenty to say, and Kogami said a lot about you as well.” 

“So you and Shinya have been catching up then?” Lance asked, finally seating himself as he tried to change the topic in a natural fashion. 

“Mm, yeah,” Tsunemori said. “Sounds like he’s been busy here. I never thought after he ran away that he’d end up serving as an enforcer elsewhere. I’m surprised Sybil allowed it, given what happened…” 

“Yeah, well Sybil allows some pretty surprising things sometimes…” Lance sighed. 

“Like what?” 

“Like me becoming an inspector in the first place.” The words came out before Lance could stop them. He hadn’t meant to get so personal with someone he’d just met and who probably thought he was just messing around. 

“What’s so odd about that?” Tsunemori asked. 

“What’s so odd? I guess Shinya and Hunk failed to mention a lot of things, because pretty much everything about me makes me a terrible fit for this job.” 

“They don’t seem to think so.” 

“Well they probably have too much faith in me then.” Lance sullenly picked up his chopsticks and began eating. Tsunemori let him chew for a bit then asked “Well if you’re so terrible for this job, then why did you choose it? Surely there were other choices.” 

Lance swallowed, but it felt like his food was still in his throat. He avoided eye contact as he answered. 

“That’s uh… it’s… stupid,” he mumbled. 

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.” 

“It is though. I thought I became an inspector because I wanted to protect people, but I think now I probably joined more because I wanted redemption. I guess I thought if I got a job protecting people’s hues, it could make up for me… being me.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“It means that everybody I went to school with always said I tainted hues because I was annoying, and at first I thought it was ridiculous but they’re right and-” 

“I think I understand a bit,” Tsunemori said, her tone heavier than before. Lance looked up at her to see she was looking out the window beside them. “I’m really amazed at how it is here, since back in the capital everyone only ever cares about their psycho-passes. The inspectors don’t care about the citizens, they just want to put in their ten years and get their promotion, and they will avoid doing anything that might jeopardize that. And since I don’t think that way, it’s gotten to the point where it’s very hard for me to do anything since the other inspectors all resent me. I recently was temporarily suspended, and was almost arrested by Division 3 before Ginoza and Enforcer Hinokawa stepped in to show them the announcement that I’d been reinstated, and I think Inspector Domoto was really happy with the prospect of arresting me and quite disappointed when he didn’t get to actually do it. When so many people are against you, it does start to feel like they must be right. But we wouldn’t be inspectors if we were the type to cave in to such pressures, would we?” 

“I… I guess not,” Lance said. “Though it seems unbelievable that things could be like that for you. I mean, Ms. Altea seems to think pretty highly of you, and while I wasn’t able to look into your file too deeply, it seemed like you’ve done a lot.” 

“Ms. Altea’s easily impressed, and it’s not like I’ve done any more than anyone else.” 

“She’s not impressed by me.” 

“Well I’m sure that once she gets to know you better…” Tsunemori trailed off, then changed the subject. “Anyway, you said your reason for becoming an inspector was stupid, but compared to mine I think that’s not too bad. I mean, I told one of our former enforcers my reason and got yelled at for it so…” 

“What was it?” Lance asked. “I mean, if you don’t mind sharing.” 

“Because I could, sort of. I was the only one in my graduating class that got the MWPSB recommendation. It was something that only I could do, and that made me feel special, so I did it. And then I started and it was really hard, and like you, I thought I really wasn’t suited to this. But in the end, I’ve stuck with it, despite a lot of hurdles, because I want to make a just world. I chose to protect the law so that the law can protect the people. So I guess that, even though I’m the one that brought it up, how we started doesn’t really matter. It’s how we move forward.” 

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or trying to give me a pep talk to make me feel better.” 

“A little of both, I think.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Also, earlier you said Kogami and Inspector Garrett have too much faith in you? I don’t really know Inspector Garrett, but Kogami has some of the best judgment of anyone I know. He wouldn’t have faith in you if you didn’t deserve it.” 

“I really hope you’re right.” 

They chatted pleasantly for the rest of the evening, with Tsunemori asking for information about the area since she was in unfamiliar territory, and then trading little anecdotes about things that had happened to them on the job. Tsunemori was nice. Lance found her quite likable, and had to shake his head at the thought of inspectors who would resent her for the way she was. 

Eventually, Lance finished his meal and they went their separate ways, and Lance went to read an e-book to pass the time until they had to leave. 

* * *

When Lance, Rolo, and Nyma walked into Vrepit Sa the second time, they got some strange looks. They had opted not to wear identity-masking holos, and people couldn’t help but remember a guy who glitter-bombed an entire room like Rolo had. 

“Relax, folks,” Nyma said. “We’ll make sure he doesn’t overindulge this time.” 

Surprisingly, this seemed to work; the air instantly became less tense, and a few of the people they’d met the last time came over to greet them. As Lance found himself being dragged back to the dartboard so that some of the people he’d taught before could show him how much they’d improved, he was glad they’d agreed to go in and be recognized rather than try to disguise themselves. They could build on bonds they’d already established, and not have to worry about the risk of slipping up and giving away that they were the same people who had been there a month previously. 

Plus, not using holos gave Lance a chance to once again do something that no one would approve of. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose. Besides, while Shiro had already torn up his letter of resignation, that didn’t mean he couldn’t write another. So he’d be reckless one last time, and that would be the end of his career as an inspector. Impulsive right up until the end. 

So after a while Lance went to the bar and ordered up a beer. A fruity cocktail was more his thing, but the alcohol content was a little too high for his tastes. As he sat there sipping his drink, he let his cheerful mask slide off his face and heaved a sigh. 

“I guess even MWPSB Inspectors have troubles,” the bartender said, revealing that he knew exactly who they were. He probably knew why they were there, too. 

“I’m pretty sure anyone who says they don’t have problems is lying,” Lance replied. 

“Well, I’d ask if you want to talk about it, but I’m sure it’s some investigation that you can’t give details on.” 

“No, nothing like that,” Lance said. “Well, we are in the midst of a rough case, but that’s not what’s bothering me.” 

“Oh?” 

“It’s… well, there’s this guy I know, he’s not exactly my friend, but… anyway, I feel like I let him down.” There it was. A lovely statement that one, implying sympathy for Lotor but really Lance let himself think of Keith so it wouldn’t be a lie. Keith wasn’t exactly a friend since he and Lance were much more than just friends, and Lance did feel like he’d let Keith down with their fight and with getting caught by Allura and whatnot. 

“I’m sure he’ll forgive you,” the bartender said. 

“I hope so. I just really wish I could help him out right now.” Right. He wished he could find a way where Keith remained an enforcer and didn’t get his heart broken by Lance having to leave. Fat chance of that though. 

“Sometimes rather than pushing yourself on people, it’s better to let them come to you,” the bartender said. “As long as he knows the offer is there, I’m sure he’ll seek you out. You seem like a decent guy, Inspector. For a cop, anyway.” 

Lance laughed. 

“Thanks man. I’m not sure how I feel about that assessment, but the advice was helpful, and it was nice of you to listen.” 

“I’m a bartender. I do this a lot.” 

“I’m sure you do. All the same, I think I better rejoin my friends. When we’re all trying to avoid a repeat of the glitter bomb incident, the more eyes on the culprit, the better.” 

Lance walked away satisfied. It was possible the bartender was just giving out generic advice there, but it seemed likely that he was trying to communicate that he had picked up on the implications of what Lance was saying, and that he would convey them to Lotor for Lance. With any luck, Lotor would be in touch soon. 

The rest of the night passed smoothly, with the three of them chatting with other patrons, dancing, and just having fun. Lance was actually a little disappointed when it ended and they had to head back. At least their reports were fairly easy this time. Nothing noteworthy had happened, no damages had been done, no cloudy hues had been detected (not that any would, given that the local scanners weren’t working right), and no one had acted suspiciously. Everything had been nice and simple. 

Once his reports were done, Lance returned to his book. It wasn’t like he really had anything else to do at the moment. He might have tried to hang out with Hunk but he suspected Hunk was going to spend some time with Shay, and Nyma would probably go see Matt and Rolo would likely see if there was any work he could do on the Beezers despite his broken arm and Shiro and Shinya both had old friends to catch up with, so that meant Lance was on his own for now. 

Or judging by the sound of someone clearing their throat, maybe not. He looked up to see Keith, standing awkwardly in front of him and scuffing a foot against the ground. 

“Uh, hey,” Keith said, waving awkwardly. “I was wondering if maybe you’d want to have a fighting lesson. Like an actual lesson I mean. Or… not, if you wanted, but I understand if that’s not what you-!” 

“That sounds great,” Lance said, shutting off the holoscreen he’d been reading on with a smile. He had kinda assumed that he and Keith weren’t allowed to be in the same room together since that thing with Allura, but maybe that wasn’t the case. Or maybe Keith was just being sneaky coming to see him, in which case he should probably say no so they wouldn’t get in worse trouble than they were already in. But he didn’t want to waste any time he and Keith had left. 

“Great! Then let’s go,” Keith said, gaining almost half a foot in height as he perked up at Lance’s agreement. Lance couldn’t help but laugh at that. They headed to the locker rooms and changed, and then they entered the gym, and Lance tried not to panic because there in the sparring area was Allura and Shiro. 

“If we don’t get murdered in the next five minutes, then I vote an actual fighting lesson,” Lance hissed to Keith. 

“Okay,” Keith said, nodding. He seemed almost unaffected by the presence of the very person who had reacted so badly to their relationship, except then Lance saw Keith’s throat work as he swallowed, and noticed a slight sheen of sweat on the back of Keith’s neck, almost covered by his hair. So he was nervous too. Nice to know. 

“Oh hey guys,” Shiro greeted, and there was no turning back then. “Come to practice a bit as well?” Both Lance and Keith nodded, not trusting their voices right then. Allura’s expression soured at the sight of them, but she kept her peace. 

Lance and Keith found a space to work, and began to stretch. Allura and Shiro resumed their sparring and Lance tried not to be terrified when he saw that not only could Allura keep up with Shiro, she actually was the stronger of the two of them. And Lance had pissed her off. He was so dead. She was going to pulverize him and destroy him and absolutely destroy him, wasn’t she? 

After stretching, Keith and Lance sparred a bit so that Keith could get a feel for how much Lance had progressed or regressed since their last lesson. After about a minute he ended the sparring so they could work on improving Lance’s weak areas, though he did offer the comment “Looks like _he’s_ been teaching you some decent stuff.” 

Right. Lance’s first lesson with Shinya had been one of the things Keith had gotten jealous about. Of course there’d still be some lingering resentment. 

“I guess,” Lance replied. “Though I still prefer the kicks you taught me. He said they could be risky if someone trapped my leg, but I feel more comfortable with them.” 

“Comfort is good,” Keith said, but he did seem a little pleased that Lance preferred things Keith had taught him. 

The rest of the lesson was spent focusing on kicks. Lance lost his balance several times, which would have been fine if he hadn’t heard muffled snorts from where Shiro and Allura were doing a cool-down routine. Whatever. They could laugh if they wanted, but he was doing a lot better than before Keith or Shinya had given him any lessons. Back then, he probably would have somehow broken a leg trying to do some of the kicks Keith had him working on. 

After the lesson they all headed to the showers for a quick rinse before changing. Lance made the mistake of yawning, and then Shiro was all over him to go get some sleep. Lance supposed he was right. He really ought to get a good night’s sleep for once. So he bid them good night and headed back to his room and sank gratefully into the bed. 

An unfamiliar ringtone woke Lance up. Half-asleep, he fumbled to try and find the source of the noise, hands finally closing around a strange object: an old-fashioned cell-phone. Had Rolo stolen it from someone and then dropped it on Lance as some kind of joke? Did this mean that now they’d have to do pat-downs for anyone who went out with Rolo and not just Rolo himself? 

With a groan, Lance answered the phone, thinking it was probably the owner or a friend trying to find their missing antique. 

“‘Lo?” Lance mumbled. 

“Ah, Lance. Finally. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to answer,” Lotor’s voice said. “I was going to be quite offended, especially after the way you were so clearly trying to get my attention.” 

“Lotor? Haven’t you ever heard of a little thing called sleep?” 

“Tsk, tsk, Lance. I thought I told you to call me Lawrence already. And pardon me for interrupting your sleep, but this is too important to wait.” 

“Of course it is,” Lance muttered. 

“Lance, missing a little sleep isn’t going to kill you.” 

_Say it to someone who hasn’t been missing sleep for over a month!_ Lance thought angrily, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. 

“We need to meet,” Lotor insisted. 

“Yeah, I really think we do,” Lance agreed. “But you do know we’re pretty much on lockdown here, right? No one in and no one out except for work purposes.” 

“So make visiting me part of your work purposes.” 

“Is that your way of saying you’ll be at Vrepit Sa tomorrow night?” 

“Is that your way of saying that you’ll be staking that place out for a while?” 

“You haven’t exactly given them a lot of leads, and lucky you, you happen to be everyone’s top priority right now.” 

“I suppose I should be flattered. But in all honesty, I’m disappointed. I’m not a threat. I’m the good guy here, Lance, you understand that right? I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone. The Sybil system misjudges people, Lance. It misjudged Sendak, who was a boor of a man who beat enforcers in order to maintain his own psycho-pass. It misjudged District Chief Haggar and sees her as clear even though she was willing to help Zarkon kill people. Clearly, it is a flawed system. Besides, the likelihood of committing a crime is not an appropriate judge of one’s worth, don’t you think? You and I have known latent criminals with more honor than ordinary citizens with clear hues. There are doctors who save lives all day long but have clouded hues, yet politicians who only care about themselves are considered upstanding citizens. Even in the MWPSB we see it. You have such wonderful ideas, yet people do not listen to you. I’ve read your file, I’ve seen complaints from other inspectors about you ignoring orders, yet every time you do, you save lives. Lives that would have been lost with the closed-minded thinking of the others. You are not one to be criticized, Lance. But under the current system, you are considered wrong. You shouldn’t have to suffer. I am trying to change things for the better, don’t you see?” 

“Yes,” Lance agreed simply. He saw, alright. What Lance saw was that Lotor was a raving lunatic, but hey, details. Who needs ‘em, right? 

“Good. I’m glad you’re on my side, Lance. I cannot do this alone, and everyone else ends up betraying me. You’re the only one I can trust.” 

Geez, Lotor was such a sweet-talker. The scary thing was, it almost worked. His words did paint a pretty picture. But Lotor would likely stab Lance in the back instead of making him a part of that picture. 

“Anyway,” Lotor continued. “I’ll see you when I see you. If you find yourself compromised before then, the phone my associate gave you has some contacts listed that you can call in an emergency. But _only_ in an emergency, understand?” 

“Got it.” 

“Good.” The line went dead, and Lance tucked the phone back in his jacket pocket where he’d found it and crawled back into bed to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day, Lance was fueling up on caffeine with Hunk and Tsunemori when Pidge joined them. 

“So, have any interesting conversations late last night?” she asked casually. 

“Please tell me you got that,” Lance begged. 

“Of course I got that. Who do you think I am?” Pidge asked, and held up a chip. “Also, watch what you say around that thing, as it’s gotta be bugged.” 

“Good thing I left it in my room.” 

“Smart. Though I did bring my jammer just in case. And you should probably let me or Matt check the clothes you were wearing last night and the car you were in to make sure there weren’t even more bugs placed on you. Rolo and Nyma too.” 

“Ugh.” 

“Um, would someone mind telling me what the heck you two are talking about?” Hunk asked. 

“I’m also a little lost,” Tsunemori admitted. 

“Oh. Right. Lotor called me last night,” Lance explained. “Apparently he had someone who was at Vrepit Sa last night slip me an old cell phone so he could contact me without it being noted by the MWPSB since he knows the Holts trace and record all calls to and from our wrist computers.” 

“Of course, what Lotor doesn’t know is that we’ve got bugs in Lance’s room strong enough to pick up phone conversations,” Pidge said with a smirk of contentment. “We also detected the phone as soon as Lance returned from Vrepit Sa last night, but we couldn’t bug the phone itself without possibly alerting Lotor and preventing him from calling. And, speaking of not alerting Lotor, we probably won’t be able to trace anything on that phone without him knowing, so you’re gonna have to keep playing along with him for a while.” 

“Point is, Lotor called, Pidge heard it and recorded it, and it’s now on you two to inform everyone else on our team since apparently I might be bugged.” 

“The good news is Rolo and Nyma already had plans to stop by the lab today to talk about some possible modifications to the Beezers. That mess the other day exposed some major weaknesses.” 

“True, but how do you EMP-proof drones?” Hunk asked. “Because most defenses you would create would be electronic, which an EMP would destroy, right?” 

“Have you forgotten that my brother and I are genii?” Pidge said, rolling her eyes. “If anyone can figure out a counter defense, it’s us.” 

“You guys are such nurgs,” Lance said, shaking his head. 

“I think you mean nerds,” Hunk and Pidge corrected simultaneously. 

“And I rest my case,” Lance said. 

Tsunemori coughed into her coffee. 

The rest of the day passed slowly, with everyone just biding time until they went out on assignment. Lance only saw Keith once, in passing. He might have tried to stop Keith and at least have a chat, but unfortunately Keith had been with Inspector Kolivan, and so Lance didn’t want to risk it. Sure, there was no point in trying to hide their relationship any more since Allura had found out and possibly told everyone, but that didn’t mean Lance wanted to draw extra attention to it. Plus Kolivan kinda scared him. 

That evening when they headed out, things at Vrepit Sa weren’t any different than the last two times Lance and his team had been there, and so they settled into their groove no problem. Lance hung around for a while, mingling with various groups and enjoying the live music that was playing that night, before going and ordering a drink. After his drink, Lance headed off to the bathroom. 

It was when he came out of the bathroom that things got interesting. 

Lance took one step out of the bathroom and suddenly his arm was twisted behind his back and a hood was being pulled over his head. He flailed his free arm, but it too was grabbed and pinned, and his hands were fastened together. Not good. Even worse, he felt his wrist computer being removed. He kicked out behind himself and was rewarded with an “oof”, but then the computer was gone and he was being dragged off. He tried kicking some more, but it did no good; he was hoisted over someone’s shoulder and held in an iron-tight grip. 

Of course Lance’s first thought about being kidnapped was: _Shit, Rolo and Nyma are gonna get in trouble for sitting around unsupervised!_

Yeah, because in a dire situation, it’s more important to worry about people getting yelled at than about one’s own potentially imminent death. 

Oh. He really might get killed here. Who was gonna tell Keith? 

Lance was carried for about twenty minutes, most of which Lance spent contemplating his apparent doom, or ignoring such contemplations by instead worrying about everyone else and how they might take his death. It was rather depressing overall. 

Without warning, Lance was deposited roughly in a seat and the hood was ripped from his head. He blinked, trying to clear his eyes as they watered from the sudden light. 

“I do apologize, Lance,” a voice said as Lance took in his surroundings. He was in a large room with no windows and plenty of snaking hallways leading off in all directions, and over in the corner there was a ladder disappearing into the ceiling. It could possibly be somewhere in the service tunnels, if a tunnel was converted into a luxury apartment. There were plush rugs and elaborate couches, and given Lotor’s personality Lance felt certain that the furniture had to be real and not holo-ed. 

“I’m sorry if my associates were a little rough with you,” Lotor continued, making his way over to Lance from one of the couches, “but as I said last night, or rather this morning, we do need to talk, and in person is safest. You did scan him for bugs, right?” 

“Yes sir,” someone behind Lance responded. Lance craned his neck, but all he saw were shadows. 

“Good. Find any?” 

“No sir.” 

“That’s odd. I would have thought the Holts would have done something,” Lotor murmured, then sat down next to Lance. 

“The Holts like me. They wouldn’t spy on me,” Lance insisted with a roll of his eyes. 

“I suppose. I just thought they were more paranoid than that. Well, no matter. Here, let me free your hands.” 

Lance gratefully turned so that Lotor could reach behind him, and within moments his hands were free. 

“Though I must say, your Dominator at least should have set off our scanners,” Lotor commented. 

“We’re supposed to be undercover. No Dominators. Not until we get something concrete. Besides, you’re our main target, and you’re an inspector. A Dominator wouldn’t work on you, so there’s no point in bringing them.” 

“I suppose you’re right. You’ll have to pardon me for being suspicious. But after having so much go wrong, I can’t afford to take any risks. Though I suppose I should say _we_ can’t afford to take any risks, since you’re in this with me now. It’s so good to find a kindred spirit, Lance, you have no idea. Or rather, you do, since you’re just like me. We’re so misunderstood, you and I. But it is not us who are wrong, it is them! The world! They’re the ones who are wrong, and we’re going to fix them! But first, there are certain pests that are in our way. We need to get rid of the MWPSB. The other inspectors will definitely have to go, though I suppose we can keep some of the hunting dogs if they swear loyalty to us. We’ll see. But where are my manners?” Lotor asked, standing up again and walking towards a kitchen area. “A proper host would offer you a drink. Would you like anything? I have tea, coffee, any alcohol you care to name, and some sparkling water as well.” 

“Just water is fine. Plain, not sparkling,” Lance said. He’d rather not drink anything here. It felt kind of like those legends about people who went to the underworld, where if you ate or drank anything then you couldn’t leave. 

“Nonsense,” Lotor insisted. “We must have a toast to our new partnership, and you can’t do that with water.” 

“Then what kind of coffee do you have?” Lance asked, hoping to buy some time with a drink that would take time to brew. 

“Come see for yourself,” Lotor invited, and Lance reluctantly followed after him into the kitchen. There was quite the selection, and Lance was impressed in spite of himself. A lot of it was imported, which was rare. He selected on a dark roasted Costa Rican blend and began measuring out beans to be ground. He took his time, trying not to be noticeably slow but also dawdling because the longer this took, the better. 

Lance’s mind whirled as he prepared his coffee. He didn’t have his Dominator, which could be tracked, or his wrist computer which he could call for back-up with. All he had was an old-fashioned cell phone which the Holts had left alone lest Lotor discover that they knew about it, and which he couldn’t use without Lotor noticing. If this was just a meet and touch bases thing, then maybe Lance would be okay and Lotor would send him back to the bar without any problems. But Lance wasn’t sure how well he’d be able to keep up his act of being an ally. And for all Lance knew, he’d been brought here to stay. He was in trouble here. Big, big trouble. 

Lance supposed it served him right. He’d brought this on himself. He always did. Always being a reckless idiot who acted on his own and ignored voices of reason. It was bound to bite him in the butt sooner or later, and here it was: his comeuppance. 

He’d just been trying to help… 

And there was an old saying he’d learned thanks to Hunk: “the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” 

So this was it then. Him against Lotor. Could he do this? Maybe. Probably not. Lotor wasn’t completely and utterly alone like he was. Lotor had cronies hidden around here, people who undoubtedly knew the area well as opposed to Lance who had only the space he was in as a mental map. If he could only contact the Holts… 

The coffee was ready, but Lance wasn’t. He still needed a plan, and he just didn’t have one. 

Luckily for Lance, clumsiness was a thing. He picked up his mug a little too carelessly and sloshed scalding liquid onto his fingers, causing him to hiss in pain and drop the mug and spill the coffee all over the floor. 

Unfortunately for Lance, Lotor was not easily deterred. As Lance sucked his fingers, Lotor surveyed the spilled coffee and then shrugged. 

“No matter,” Lotor said. “I suppose a toast is a little silly, after all. Let me get you a water and then we can settle down to discuss how we shall proceed.” 

_Or you could let me make another cup of coffee so I can continue freaking out in peace!_ Lance thought. 

He couldn’t get that lucky though. Luck was fickle, and one only had so much, and it seemed Lance’s luck had run out. Lotor filled a glass with water and handed it over, and they returned to the couches. 

“Now Lance,” Lotor said, “let’s talk.” 

“Sure,” Lance agreed, his mouth moving on its own. “I have something I’d like to say, if you don’t mind.” 

Lotor gave a welcoming sort of gesture, and Lance continued. 

“For a while now you’ve been saying how we’re two of a kind and we’re the same and things like that, but frankly, I just don’t see it.” 

“No need to be so humble, Lance. You and I are different from everyone else. And that difference is proof that we were meant to be great.” 

“Are you sure it’s not proof that we’re insane?” 

Lotor frowned a little at that, but it smoothed away almost instantly. 

“Lance, you are buying into what they say. You must ignore the things they’ve been telling you. They are _wrong_.” 

“No Lotor, you’re wrong. It’s not the things they tell me that say as much. It’s the things my heart tells me that say that they’re the ones who are right, and you’re the one who isn’t. I’m not like you. I don’t want to be great, I just want to be good. Helping people is good. Protecting people is good. But you? You’re not good. Going along with you would be a bad thing, and therefore I won’t. I choose them, Lotor. I choose to be someone I think is worthwhile, not someone who is great.” 

“You-” Lotor began, fury in his eyes, but words failed him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and his smile returned, the only sign of his former rage being a slightly nauseated twist to his smile. “I am quite disappointed in you Lance. However, I’m sure that, with time, you will see my way. It won’t be long before your absence is noted. A search will begin, and when you don’t turn up, they’ll turn on you. But at that time, I will be on your side. You may not realize it yet, but I do understand, Lance. You will see. Everything will be just as I have said.” 

“Perhaps. But I’ll take my chances,” Lance said, and pulled out the gun he had borrowed two nights previously. They had confiscated Acxa’s gun, but hadn’t thought to check the others for weapons. It just so happened that Ezor had also had a gun, and she’d been kind enough to lend it to Lance. “You’re going to take me back to Vrepit Sa, and then you’re going to turn yourself in. Understood?” 

“If you wish it,” Lotor said calmly, taking one last sip of his own drink and then putting it down. 

“Stand,” Lance ordered, doing the same. 

Lotor stood, and then became a blur of movement as he swept Lance’s feet out from under him. Lance hit the ground hard, winding himself, and before he could recover he felt a painful pressure on the wrist of his dominant hand. His dominant hand that still held the gun. The gun that he couldn’t use. His eyes streamed as he fought to get some air back into his lungs, and blurred his vision as Lotor bent over and pried the gun from Lance’s fingers. 

“This is a dangerous toy, Lance. And one you should be careful about turning on people. Why, think of your hue!” Lotor laughed mockingly, and the sound grated on Lance’s nerves so. He thrashed, trying to shake off the foot that still pinned his wrist and also hoping to cause Lotor some kind of injury, but he succeeded at neither endeavor. 

“Now, now, none of that,” Lotor chided. “You might hurt yourself if you aren’t careful. What a tragedy that would be.” 

“Yeah well... fuck... you... pal,” Lance wheezed. 

“Not today, I think,” Lotor said with a smirk. And then he swooped down and cracked the butt of the handgun against Lance’s head, knocking him out. 

* * *

Maintaining low-profile security on the Hotel Daibabzaal was a pain in the butt. It was also kind of impossible, because of course when there’s a group systematically wandering the halls, people are gonna notice. Plus it was pretty hard to be covert when they’d already had to show hotel staff their badges to guarantee they had access to everything they needed. 

Or at least, that was Keith’s opinion. And maybe he was just reading too much into things, but he was pretty sure the others on their team agreed as well. 

Despite many recommendations against it, Krolia had insisted on coming with them that evening, and she and Keith were patrolling together. It was rather uncomfortable to Keith; sure they’re bonded a bit what with the death of his dad, but, in the end, he still didn’t really know how to deal with her. Sure, he did care, kinda, since he’d been pretty pissed with that Acxa chick who had shot Krolia and hoped it had hurt when he’d taken her down for her arrest, but caring about someone didn’t mean you knew how to talk to them. He felt tongue-tied around his mother, and he was pretty sure it was contagious since this was the third patrol they were conducting together and unlike the first two times, she’d completely given up on trying to talk to him. 

Keith was just trying to process a way to break the silence hovering between them when a call came in over their comms. 

“This is Enforcer Smith from the seventh division, stationed at Vrepit Sa, and uh, Enforcer Bell and I have a bit of a problem.” 

“What did McClain do now?” Iverson’s voice asked tiredly. 

“He seems to have vanished. Without his wrist computer.” 

There was some muted swearing over the comms line, and then the voice of one of the eighth division enforcers (Keith wasn’t sure which because he just didn’t care) came on the line saying, “Inspector Iverson has requested that you kindly clarify whether or not this is a joke. He sincerely hopes it is one, I believe.” 

“Unfortunately, no, no joke,” Nyma’s voice said. “Lance is definitely not in the bar.” 

“Well isn’t that just perfect,” Krolia muttered next to Keith. Keith agreed with the biting sarcasm of her words, but where Krolia was annoyed Keith felt scared. What was Lance doing this time? And hadn’t Lance promised to talk to people before doing crazy things? Lance wasn’t so fickle as to go back on his word so easily, so what was going on? 

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll turn up,” Kaltenacker input. “It’s probably just another one of McClain’s harebrained ideas. It’s not like him leaving equipment behind and acting on his own is anything new, right?” 

“Yeah, but last time he did something like this he only turned his computer off,” Shiro’s voice protested. “Maybe something’s wrong.” 

“No, Kaltenacker is right,” Kolivan’s voice said. “McClain is probably just investigating some improbable whim of his independently. I’ll head over to Vrepit Sa to retrieve Smith and Bell, but we’ll all have to keep an eye out for him as he could endanger his hue.” 

“You know,” Rolo’s voice said, and it had an edge to it that said that Rolo was about to present an unpleasant truth, “maybe Lance would be less inclined to trying to do things on his own if the lot of you didn’t disregard everything he says just because it’s his idea.” 

“You’re out of line, Smith,” Kolivan said. 

“No, he’s right,” Hunk interjected. “As Lance’s partner, I can say he’s pretty good at what he does. If you listen to him, he’s not as illogical as he might seem. But the fact is, none of you do listen to him. In fact, the way you treat him isn’t much different than how you treat the enforcers under your command. And in some cases, I think you guys trust the enforcers more. Which, not that there’s anything wrong with trusting enforcers, but to treat someone with a clear hue like a latent criminal is pretty shitty of you guys.” 

Keith was proud of his team right about then, standing up for one of their own and calling people out on their bullshit. He was sure the other inspectors didn’t appreciate it, but he was sure Lance would, and since Lance wasn’t present for the conversation, Keith appreciated it for him. 

“Except we’re kinda doing that with Lotor, but we’ve already established that he’s probably criminally asymptomatic,” Matt pointed out, because Matt had to be _that_ guy. 

“Matt, love, go to sleep already, it’s getting late,” Nyma scolded. 

“That’s what I’ve been telling him!” Pidge exclaimed. “Minus the pet name, though. Do you think I should have tried that?” 

“Holts, Bell, if you must chit-chat, please do it on a private line,” Kolivan said. “Inspector Garrett, your input is appreciated, but McClain’s ideas are dangerous. It’s a wonder he hasn’t tainted his hue beyond salvation yet.” 

“This coming from the guy who’s hue gets closer to the border every day,” Pidge said quietly. But everyone still heard. 

“Yeah, hate to break it to y’all, but Lance has the clearest hue of all the inspectors here,” Matt drawled. “Even Tsunemori’s legendary resilience is cloudier than him.” 

“Matt, bed!” Allura ordered, seconding Pidge and Nyma’s earlier command. 

“Okay, okay, I’m going!” 

“He really is going. Thanks, Allura,” Pidge said. 

“Maybe I’m jumping to conclusions, but is it possible that Inspector McClain’s disappearance has something to do with his phone call from Lotor?” Tsunemori asked. 

Keith felt the blood draining from his face. A phone call from Lotor? To Lance? That didn’t bode well. 

“You might have something there,” Hunk agreed. 

“Pardon me, but what’s this about a phone call?” Kaltenacker inquired. 

“Last night at Vrepit Sa, someone slipped Lance an old cell phone,” Pidge said. “Then, after his shift, he got a call on said cell phone, from Lotor. I was able to record it, and basically, Lotor seems to see Lance as an ally and mentioned wanting to meet up with Lance. He can hardly waltz into a bar that we have under surveillance, so if Tsunemori’s right, he likely decided to find a way to bring Lance to him. The trouble is, if Lotor brought Lance to him, then we won’t have any way of finding him. The tampered scanners still record all clear hues that pass by them- otherwise we would have noticed them much sooner- so that means that Lotor would be recorded even if he went through one of the tampered scanners. However, since he showed up to the meeting he hosted at headquarters, he hasn’t appeared on the radar even once, meaning he’s somewhere we can’t trace him. And looking at the scanners now, the last time a scanner recorded Lance was just outside Vrepit Sa, when he was arriving there with Rolo and Nyma.” 

“So McClain has chosen to become our enemy, then?” Iverson asked grimly. 

“What?” Pidge asked. “No. Not at all. He knew I had recorded his conversation with Lotor, and specifically told Tsunemori and Hunk about it over breakfast today. He also made sure word got around to the rest of the seventh division, though no offense, but we kinda decided that it would be best to keep it quiet from the rest of you. Since you guys don’t take him seriously and all. Point is, he wanted to try and use Lotor’s interest in him as a way to catch him. A plan which we all agreed you lot would never agree to.” 

“Then we wait for him to contact us?” Iverson asked. 

“Except how is he to contact us without his wrist computer?” Allura asked. “Unless he intends to use that cell phone you mentioned?” 

“Not likely, Lotor’s probably got that thing bugged,” Pidge said. “He probably just went to meet Lotor and will be back in a bit.” 

“And if he’s not back in a bit?” Ginoza asked. 

“Then… we’re probably going to have to hire a replacement for him,” Pidge said regretfully. 

Oh hell no. Hell. Fucking. No. The seventh division didn’t need a new inspector. They had Hunk and Lance, and they would continue to have Hunk and Lance until Hunk’s retirement. Keith couldn’t accept any other way. Keith knew what Pidge was implying, that Lance might die if things went wrong, but like hell Keith was gonna let that happen. 

“What about the service tunnels?” Keith heard his own voice ask. “There aren’t any scanners down there, are there?” 

“No, we already proved that one when you…” Pidge began, but he could hear the realization dawning in her voice. “When you got lost down there! And Lotor found you, which was odd because why was he even down there in there first place, but if that’s where he’s been hiding then of course!” 

“But the service tunnels are quite extensive,” Allura said. “Even if we all go and search now, it could be weeks or even months before we find anything.” 

“P9,” Keith said. “We should be able to find Lotor if we start from P9. That’s where I was when we ran into each other. Though we’ll have to be careful, as I think he’s rigged the area with booby traps.” 

“What makes you think that?” Hunk asked. 

“Probably the fact that I was missing so long because I got caught in one?” Keith said drily. Next to him, Krolia’s eyebrows shot up. 

“I did find it odd that someone would manage to get the drop on you,” Shiro mused. 

“Why didn’t you say anything about this before now?” Kolivan asked. 

“Lotor asked me to go with the version he presented, and since I doubted anyone would simply take my word for it, especially against the word of an inspector, I went with it. And by the time anything changed, it had slipped my mind. Until now.” 

“Rather convenient,” Kaltenacker said.” 

“And that is exactly what I meant,” Keith muttered. 

“Well, it just happens that the closest entrance to P9 is between Vrepit Sa and Hotel Daibazaal,” Pidge said. “According to my map, anyway. Though maybe someone should come ask the enforcers about booby traps?” 

“In that case, the units at Palen Bol, Sincline, and Galra should head back to headquarters to interrogate the captured enforcers,” Allura ordered. “My team will head over to Vrepit Sa to rendezvous with Smith and Bell, and we will wait there for information from the interrogation team, since Lotor likely has eyes near the entrance to the tunnels.” 

“But if he was able to give McClain a cell phone at Vrepit Sa, then doesn’t that mean he has eyes there too?” Iverson asked. 

“We’ll pretend to be investigating his disappearance and looking for some kind of indication as to what he is doing,” Allura said. “It should cover up our real intentions so that Lotor isn’t alerted. Any other objections?” 

“No ma’am,” the inspectors replied. 

“Good. Let’s go.” 

As always, Keith didn’t know whether to be annoyed by Allura’s take-charge attitude or be in awe of her ability to take a bad situation and choose a course of action to deal with it. It was admirable, but it could also be a little annoying, especially if one wanted to, just for example, take a moment to panic and worry about one’s boyfriend. 

“We’d better head downstairs,” Krolia said, and the two of them turned around to do just that. They were about halfway to the staircase when Krolia added, “It must have been pretty annoying, working under a guy like that.” 

Keith bristled at her words. Lance didn’t deserve them, for one. Not to mention there was that word annoying again, the one word that seemed to hurt Lance the most. 

“You’re mistaken,” Keith said, trying to keep the hostility in his voice to a minimum. “It wasn’t annoying at all. It could be a little stressful at times, but that’s normal in this line of work.” 

Krolia flinched back. 

“Sorry, I just meant that-” 

“Lance is not annoying,” Keith muttered. “How about you try getting to know him before you go judging him.” 

The first car, with Tsunemori, Ginoza, and Allura, had already left by the time Krolia and Keith got back downstairs. Keith wished they hadn’t because he would have preferred to ride in a different car than his mom right about then. Yeah, she didn’t exactly know that he and Lance were dating, but still. You didn’t go around dissing another division’s inspectors to their enforcers’ faces. You just didn’t do it. Even Keith, with his absolute loathing of the eighth division, would never talk badly about Iverson or Kaltenacker to the eighth division enforcers. Yes, Keith had transferred from the seventh division, and he was known for not getting along with people, but that didn’t mean that unspoken rule didn’t apply with him as well. 

Keith remained sullen the whole drive to Vrepit Sa. He kept to himself as they conducted their “investigation”, if such a farce could be labelled as such. They were still attempting to keep things under wraps, but to Keith it was pretty obvious that just about everyone there knew who he and the rest of them were. More than a few patrons opted to leave shortly after the second car's arrival, and the remaining patrons were uneasy, keeping a wary eye on the MWPSB members. However, their group had to pretend not to notice the shifting glances, the mutters about the police, had to pretend that they were normal patrons while also pretending to investigate Lance’s disappearance. So they bought a round of drinks and looked around a lot and Kolivan and Ginoza spent a good fifteen minutes in the bathroom since Rolo and Nyma said they’d last seen Lance on his way there. 

Just when Keith was contemplating if the risks of starting a fight just to blow off some steam _really_ outweighed the benefits, Rolo showed up and slung his good arm around Keith’s shoulders. 

“Allura said headquarters called,” Rolo told him. “It’s time to go.” 

Keith nodded and headed off to the cars. Keith ended up with Krolia and Kolivan again, while Allura took Rolo and Nyma in Lance’s car. As soon as they all pulled out, Pidge was on comms, briefing them on what the interrogation team had learned. 

“So the good news is that apparently there’s a panel near the entrance where you can input a code to deactivate all the security measures,” Pidge said. “The bad news is that the enforcers believe that Lotor has probably changed the code in the last couple of days. But, more good news, you’ve got little old me on your side. More bad news, I need to have a signal to be able to do anything, and there isn’t one down in the service tunnels. More good news, I can use the Beezers to give myself one. Even better news, they’ll also allow you to use Dominators down there, so there’s a cart on its way to you guys.” 

“Except Dominators don’t work on the criminally asymptomatic,” Ginoza said drily. 

“No, they don’t, but we shouldn’t assume Lotor doesn’t have a few more latent criminal stooges running around. Also, one last bit of bad news, Acxa wasn’t the only one with a gun the other night. We forgot to pat down Ezor, and she had one too.” 

“Did she shoot someone?” Allura asked in alarm. 

“No. Key word there, had. She said she surrendered it shortly after being apprehended, however, it never ended up in our vault. And you’re not gonna like who she surrendered it to.” 

“McClain?” Tsunemori guessed. 

“Yup,” Pidge sighed. “It’s possible he was just being forgetful, but knowing him… he’s probably carrying it around right now.” 

“Then his hue really is in danger,” Krolia said. “To carry such an item would raise his coefficient, and should he actually attempt to use it? His hue would be mud.” 

“Not necessarily,” Ginoza said. “I think it depends on your intent to kill. Tsunemori has used firearms on multiple occasions, but she lacks killing intent and so she’s been fine. McClain will likely be the same.” 

“I only hope you’re right,” Allura said. “We’re almost there, Pidge, what’s the ETA for the Beezers you’re sending?” 

“They should be there in about three minutes and twenty-seven seconds.” 

“Only you would say that like it’s an approximation,” Nyma laughed. 

“Hey, there are a lot of factors that could affect that, and besides, do you have any idea how imprecise seconds are? Any accurate measurement of time uses milliseconds!” 

“Smart people,” Rolo sighed. “They really don’t make any sense.” 

They arrived at the entrance to the service tunnels at almost the same time as the Beezers. Keith didn’t know if Allura timed it that way, or if it was coincidence, but it sure was convenient. They entered the tunnels right away, and Pidge got hacking. It was only about a minute before she was giving them an update. 

“Okay, we’re in,” Pidge told them. “A couple things: even with the Beezers boosting the signal, you’ve still got limited space down there. You can go a mile from the Beezers at most before you lose contact. I’ll try to keep an eye on you, so that if your signal is getting fuzzy I’ll warn you, but be sure to check if your Dominator is still functioning every now and then. Second, it’s highly likely that Lotor’s gonna know I hacked him, and he’s gonna try and kick me out of the system. We’ll be waging a little cyber war here, and as awesome as I am, it’s still possible that he’ll manage to boot me out for a second or two here and there. If that happens, all his security measures will reactivate, so if you hear me scream at you, freeze where you are and don’t move a muscle unless I’m telling you to run.” 

“If these traps could reactivate, then shouldn’t you at least warn us what they are?” Rolo asked. 

“Oh, your usual cliche stuff. Laser grids, pitfalls, places where if you don’t step on the correct spots you get electrocuted, trap nets… stuff that is effective enough but ultimately pretty lame. If it were me, I’d put in some kind of vacuum chute that would send you back to the starting point, maybe have a room full of hallucination-inducing gas, and maybe a room full of creepy child laughter just to mess with people.” 

“If we ever doubted your latent criminal status, I think you just cleared up any skepticism we may have had,” Nyma smirked. 

The eight of them entered the tunnels and since Keith was as lost as the rest of them once inside, they split up. Keith took turns at random, going half off of instinct and half guessing. Out of habit, he started falling into the pattern he and Shiro would use when searching, and so he deliberately took a few turns in the opposite direction of that pattern just to keep from being too regular. He probably turned himself around about a dozen times, but whatever. Pidge was tracking their routes to help guide them back to the surface, so if he went in circles a bit, it wouldn’t really matter. 

His path did cross some of the others’ a few times, running into Krolia, Allura, Nyma, and Ginoza at various points. They all kept in touch via comms, checking in with each other to make sure no one had strayed too far and whether or not anyone had found anything, but so far, no luck. 

Keith didn’t see why the enforcers could give them details on Lotor’s booby traps but not give them a map of the tunnels, but when he voiced this complaint, he was informed that just as Lotor had changed the security codes, he had probably moved his hideout, and even if he hadn’t, the enforcers tended to navigate by such instructions as “turn left after you see the crack that looks like a spider trying to riverdance.” Besides, there were apparently plenty of places Lotor could be holding Lance. 

And then there was the fact that none of them wanted to acknowledge yet, which was that Lotor could easily disappear into the tunnels without them ever noticing. According to the enforcers, Lotor did have an actual map of the tunnels, and so if he evaded them now they might never find him. 

Just when Keith was thinking the whole search was hopeless, he found himself getting deja vu. He looked around for any sign of what might seem familiar, trying to figure out what his subconscious had noticed that the rest of him hadn’t, but the walls still looked the same as anywhere else. They were plain gray cement walls with two sensors on either side and- 

Two sensors. Just like where he’d fallen and gotten trapped. And where Lotor had kept him until they’d returned to headquarters. Why hadn’t they realized it before? 

“Pidge, the pitfalls,” he said hoarsely into the comms. “Open them.” 

“Except how are you guys supposed to navigate around some gaping holes in the ground?” Pidge asked. 

“We’ll have to work around them,” Keith insisted. “When I was down here before, I fell into a pitfall. And even though Lotor and his enforcers realized I was there right away, they left me there until we returned to headquarters. It’s a perfect holding cell, and we’ve been completely overlooking them.” 

“Point. Okay, opening them up. Careful folks, it’d be kinda bad if any of you fell in.” 

Keith took a few steps back just to be safe, and the ground opened up between the two sensors. He stepped forward, peered over the lip of the pitfall, and felt his face split into a grin while his tear ducts threatened to let loose a deluge. He’d found him. Lance. 

* * *

Lance regained consciousness in pitch darkness. No, not pitch darkness. In complete and vast emptiness. There was nothing to see, no sound except for that of his own breathing, and if it weren’t for the feeling of hard wall and floor against his body, he could very well be floating in an empty abyss. It was terrifying. 

The only thing Lance’s panicking brain could think to do was to tentatively whine out a weak, “Hello? Is anybody there?” 

“Glad to hear you’re awake, inspector,” replied a hoarse female voice. 

“Who’s there?” Lance asked, half wary, half desperate. 

“Enforcer Narti, tenth division. Though I don’t know if I’m still recognized by Sybil as such.” 

“Narti? That’s great! Acxa and the others were really worried about you. I told them that I’d make sure we came and found you once we caught Lotor, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. Though I guess I didn’t really find you and we haven’t caught Lotor and well… this is hardly the situation I anticipated.” 

“Astrid’s okay? And- and Edith and Zoey?” 

“Yeah, mostly. Zethrid did get shot with a paralyzer, but she’s fine already, and Acxa and Ezor might have some bruises from their capture, but they’re all alive. Swear on- well, I can’t really swear on my honor as an inspector thanks to the likes of Lotor and Sendak, so I guess I’d better swear on my family’s lives.” 

“That’s… good,” Narti panted. She didn’t seem to be in very good condition, which was worrisome. 

“So… any ideas on how to get out of here?” Lance asked. 

“We don’t,” Narti said grimly. “Unless we get really lucky and someone manages to find us. More likely, Lotor will come get you at some point and that will be that.” 

“But what about you?” 

“Me? Well… let’s just say that if you see Astrid again, I’d appreciate it if you tell her I said goodbye. I-” Narti broke off with a choked-off sob. 

“Heyheyheyheyhey,” Lance soothed. “It’s alright, you can’t think so negatively yet. We’ll get out of here, and you’ll see Acxa, and everything will be okay. I know I have nothing to prove this and can’t guarantee it or anything, but you’ve gotta believe it, alright?” 

As if to prove Lance right, a blinding light appeared above them. Lance flinched away from it, throwing an arm up to try and shield his eyes. And then he heard a familiar voice saying, “Hey, uh, Pidge? Any of your Beezers got a rope or something?” 

“Keith?” Lance asked, squinting in the direction of the voice and managing to detect a familiar silhouette with that outdated hairstyle. 

Keith didn’t respond right away, but after a moment he said, “Pidge is sending over a Beezer that should be able to get you guys out. Just hang in there.” 

“We don’t exactly have any other options, Kogane,” Narti replied drily. 

“Well I meant like, don’t die or anything before then, Narti,” Keith snarked back. 

“Awwwww, Keith has a friend!” Lance cooed. 

“I can’t believe you,” Keith grumbled, but he had that tone that meant he wasn’t really annoyed, just faking it. 

Keith kept chatting with them the whole time until the Beezer arrived. Lance wasn’t sure how one of the little drones would be able to get him and Narti out of the hole they were apparently in, but all it did was extend some flexible arms and wrap them around both him and Narti in turn and lift them out. Lance wanted to kiss Keith for coming to their rescue, but given that the two of them rarely stopped at just one kiss he opted to settle for kissing the Beezer instead. 

“My hero!” he cried dramatically as he threw his arms around the robot. Keith rolled his eyes. 

“Pidge says that if you don’t release her child right now, she’s going to have it shock you.” 

“They can do that?” Lance asked, but immediately let go anyway. 

“Like I know,” Keith said. “By the way, Allura wants to keep the search for Lotor going so she wants me to escort you guys back to the outside for medical evaluation, so I hope at least one of you can walk.” 

Which was basically Keith-speak for “Lance, are you okay?” since Narti clearly couldn’t walk. Now that Lance’s eyes had adjusted to the light, she looked terrible. Her skin was mottled with bruises and there was some dried blood too, and she had collapsed as soon as the Beezer had put her down. 

“Yeah, I’m good,” Lance said. “All good here. Let’s get going, shall we?” 

“Just a sec. Here,” Keith said, and handed over a Dominator. Lance accepted it and stowed it in his belt where Ezor’s gun had been at the start of the night. 

Together, he and Keith lifted Narti, and it was not so different from a few days previously when they’d carried Thace together. No matter what the circumstances, the two of them always made a good team. Keith nodded his head the direction they should go, presumably getting directions from the amazing Pidge Holt, and they set off. 

They had barely made it past the first turn when they ran into Lotor. 

“I see that I have underestimated the MWPSB,” Lotor said, an amused glint in his eye. “However I do hope you realize this is all quite futile. You cannot escape me. Even if you evade me tonight, there will be next time. Latent criminals are always looking for someone to give them salvation, and I offer it in exchange for favors here and there. They will help me get what I want, so there’s really no point in you trying to run away now.” 

“We’re not trying to escape you, Lotor,” Keith said, and Lance realized he was trying to alert the others to their predicament via comms. 

“Oh, calling for help?” Lotor asked mockingly. “Pointless. In the end, I will walk out of here, and I will disappear, and you will not find me.” 

“You’re wrong,” Lance said. “This ends here.” 

“If you say so,” Lotor said, then lunged at them with an insane grin. 

Keith moved forward to meet Lotor, leaving Lance to stumble under the full weight of Narti. He blocked the first vicious blow, but that was just the first of an onslaught that even Keith couldn’t keep up with, with one out of every three blows finding its target. Some of them would surely have knocked Keith breathless, and Lance felt breathless just watching. By reflex, he drew the Dominator, but he knew it was pointless. If he pointed it at Lotor, the trigger would lock, and besides, the chances of hitting Lotor were far slimmer than he liked to think about. Lance was helpless as Keith got pummelled, and it was a pain even greater than if the one taking the beating was Lance himself. 

No. That was negative thinking. There had to be something he could do. 

“Crime coefficient is over 140. An enforcer registered at the Criminal Investigation Department. He is an Enforce At Will target. Aim calmly and disable the target.” 

It was the mechanical voice of the Dominator, telling him that it had registered Keith in its sights. But there was one thing that caught his attention there: “Aim calmly and disable the target.” The Dominator always told them that, to be careful with their aim. And Hunk had almost hit a civilian on his first day. 

“Keith!” Lance yelled, and got ready. Keith hesitated, and a harsh blow from Lotor knocked Keith aside, giving Lance the opening he’d wanted. He squeezed the trigger quickly, before the gun could lock, and a paralyzer shot blasted out of it and caught Lotor square in the chest. The criminally asymptomatic inspector wouldn’t be getting up from that one any time soon. 

“Thanks,” Lance said, lowering the Dominator with a slightly shaky hand as Keith recovered from the hit he’d taken. 

“Did you just-?” Keith asked. 

“Yeah, I did. And I think I’m going to panic now.” 

Keith got the message and moved to take Narti. As soon as her weight was safely off of him, Lance dropped into a crouch and hugged himself, shaking. Holy shit what a night. He’d been abducted, knocked out by a raving lunatic, rescued, and now he’d just done something that was supposed to be impossible. At least Keith’s coefficient wasn’t high enough to go into the Eliminator mode. 

“Yeah, I’m kinda relieved about that too,” Keith said, and Lance realized he’d spoken his thoughts aloud. 

“So much for that promise to not shoot when there’s a chance of hitting an enforcer,” Lance choked out, his voice far too high with stress. 

“I think it was probably a good thing you did. Just this once, at least,” Keith replied. He knelt down next to Lance and put an arm around him, and Lance leaned into him, needing to feel loved. He looked up to see Narti leaning heavily on the Beezer. “Though next time you pull something like that, would you mind letting me know in advance so maybe I can spare my ribs a bit? That one really hurt.” 

“Sorry,” Lance sniffled, and nuzzled his face into Keith's neck. He supposed maybe now wasn’t the best time to be cuddly with his boyfriend, but it was comforting. Besides, it wasn’t like Lance wasn’t already in deep shit anyway. 

Footsteps approached quickly and then there was a cry of “Lan-Lan!” and Keith was shoved aside as Nyma wrapped Lance up in a hug of her own. It was still nice, but it didn’t have that wonderful boyfriend scent that Keith’s had, and it was a bit bonier and less secure feeling. Still, Lance refrained from whining and accepted the hug as Rolo, Allura, Kolivan, Krolia, Tsunemori, and Ginoza all arrived in short order. Lance didn’t see their stunned expressions at the scene of Lotor lying unconscious and all, but he heard their gasps of surprise, and eventually Allura asked, “What on Earth happened here?” 

“Just some stellar teamwork between Keith and yours truly,” Lance said with false bravado, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. He saw the skeptical look on the faces of the others. 

“Lance shot at me with the Dominator in a moment when he knew he would miss and hit Lotor instead,” Keith said. “So basically, what he said.” 

“Since when does acting as a target count as ‘stellar teamwork’?” Krolia asked angrily. Lance wondered what her beef was. Sure, as an enforcer she probably didn’t like the idea of being used by an inspector like that, but the other enforcers didn’t seem bothered by it and also it wasn’t like Lance was pleased to have done that either. 

“Well, regardless, you’d better let us check your hue, McClain,” Allura ordered. “Hopefully you’re still safe and can recover with emergency treatment; it’s never pleasant when an inspector gets demoted, and especially at a time like this…” 

Lance grit his teeth but let the woman aim her Dominator at him, giving her a reading of his psycho-pass. He did have to wonder what his hue was like right then, given the circumstances he’d just been through. He’d always maintained remarkable clarity, but even he would be tainted after everything with Lotor. As the Dominator gave Allura his reading, he thought of a shower when they got back to HQ. A nice hot meal. A good night’s sleep. And when his inevitable demotion came through then he could sneak of for some consolation cuddles from Keith. That didn’t sound too bad... 

“That’s impossible,” Allura gasped. 

“What is?” Lance asked. 

“You’re psycho-pass. Your hue is ice blue and your coefficient is only 14. But you just- you would have- how?” 

“I’d say that pretty much settles it, wouldn’t you?” Ginoza said to Tsunemori. “It seems Kou was right.” 

“Right about what?” Lance asked. 

“About you being criminally asymptomatic as well,” Ginoza answered, his eyes boring into Lance’s. 

“Um, excuse you, my hue just runs pretty clear,” Lance protested. “Lotor and I have nothing in common.” 

“It did seem unlikely to me at first,” Tsunemori said, “but Kogami was able to provide plenty of evidence to support his theory. However, even he had his doubts since he’s only ever seen criminally asymptomatic individuals who are criminals of the most evil nature. But you were just abducted, and the stress of that should have raised your coefficient. Furthermore, you exploited a slight inaccuracy in the Dominator, and at risk to an enforcer. Also, we heard that you had obtained a handgun. If you were carrying that around, that’s yet another thing to raise your psycho-pass. To maintain such a clear hue and low coefficient wouldn’t be possible unless you were controlling your psycho-pass at will.” 

“But I’m not!” Lance argued, feeling his anger begin to mix with a hint of fear. 

“No, I agree,” Allura said. “From the get-go, you reminded me of Lawrence when he was younger, to the degree that it was quite alarming to me. And then there’s your relationship with Keith, an enforcer.” Lance flinched as Tsunemori and Ginoza gasped, and even Kolivan’s eyebrows shot up at that news. “While it’s not expressly forbidden, it is something that few inspectors would consider and even fewer would attempt. Most would find their hues tainted by guilt at breaking what they’d perceive to be an unspoken rule, yet you are unaffected by it.” 

“R-relationship?” Tsunemori asked. “As in d-d-d-dating?” 

“Well that explains a lot,” Kolivan murmured. 

“Kou failed to mention that,” Ginoza sputtered. 

“Probably because he didn’t know,” Lance admitted. “It wasn’t exactly a secret, but since Keith got transferred to the ninth, it didn’t exactly come up in conversation.” 

“Anyway,” Allura continued, “my point is that, had Shiro not taken the time to point out a crucial difference between you and Lawrence, you would be cuffed and considered a threat to public safety. As it is, you have a lot of explaining to do. Starting with why you didn’t mention being contacted by Lawrence.” 

“I didn’t say anything because we needed to reel him in. Before, everyone said that it would be difficult to smoke him out since we didn’t know what he wanted, but there was one thing I realized he wanted: an ally. He’d told me before that he thought we were similar, and he seemed to think I’d be on his side, so I tried to take advantage of that by pretending to be an ally. But I knew everyone would be against my idea and would try and stop me and ruin the effort. So I went, and I took Ezor’s gun since I couldn’t take a Dominator and it’s not like I’d be able to capture Lotor any other way. I figured, worst case scenario I’d have to shoot him in the leg to keep him from running, and maybe my hue would be clouded but so what? Everyone already thinks I’m the worst inspector the MWPSB has ever seen.” 

“No, sorry, that title belongs to Shimotsuki,” Ginoza interrupted. “Since you actually try to do your job, there’s no way you’ll ever overtake her.” 

“Ginoza, that’s not nice,” Tsunemori chided, but she sounded rather half-hearted. 

“So where’s the gun now?” Kolivan asked. 

“Uhhhh, Lotor took it,” Lance admitted. “See, he kinda took it from me and knocked me out with it? Yeah, not fun. And then when I woke up I was someone dark and Narti was there and then Keith came and got us out and then he gave me his Dominator but we ran into Lotor, and Lotor was kinda beating him up and I just tried to sight him with the Dominator on instinct but it sighted Keith instead and reminded me to aim carefully and that’s when I thought to miss on purpose and hit Lotor, and it actually worked, amazingly enough.” 

“A statistically improbable feat indeed,” Allura murmured, presumably in response to something Pidge had said. “Given the circumstances, I think the best way to proceed is to call the other inspectors together to review your actions and come to a collective decision on how to deal with you,” she sighed. “This is all going to be such a mess to clean up. Alright, enough talking, let’s get back to the surface and get Lotor in a van and an ambulance for Narti.” 

Kolivan ended up carrying Narti piggyback, and Lotor was taken by Ginoza and Nyma since Rolo had his sling and Krolia had her shoulder injury. Lance and Keith could have helped, but somehow they ended up leaning on each other instead, and while it did earn them a dirty look from Allura, they were otherwise left alone. 

It took them almost twenty minutes to make it back to the surface. By the time they got there, Lance was exhausted. In the end, he went with Narti in the ambulance so they could check him for a concussion. Keith and the other enforcers rode in the transport van with Lotor, just in case the paralyzer wore off early and the asymptomatic inspector woke up. After they got back, Lance tested negative for a concussion and was released. He ended up foregoing a shower and food and went straight to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if it is canonically possible for the Dominators to miss, but it always seemed implied to me that they can so I'm running with it.  
> Rant time (feel free to ignore): First off, Lotor, why do you have to be so problematic? I started planning this in May, before season 6 came out and proved that yes Lotor really was a villain, and was actually more evil than he'd initially seemed. So my original plans had Lotor as a good guy (HA. HA. HA.), a civilian who was a victim of a case they were investigating and who became buddies with Lance, sparking Keith's jealousy (Kogami wasn't going to appear in that version). But nooooooo, Lotor had to go all batshit on everyone in such a way that I couldn't see even an au version of him being decent, messing up all my plans. Jerk.  
> Secondly, there was a brief mention of Mika Shimotsuki in this chapter, and I just gotta say... I hate her guts so much. Like, you know Nina's dad from Fullmetal Alchemist, who pretty much every anime fan ever will list in their top ten most hated characters? Yeah, Mika Shimotsuki is about the same level as him for me. But in some ways, I suppose she can be thanked for this fic because there were more than a few aspects that were basically me raging against her via a creative medium.  
> Anyway, there's one more chapter after this. It'll be a short one, mostly just tying things up. Yay.


	18. Chapter 18

“Lance, will you please stop fidgeting?” Hunk begged. “You look fine.” 

“I can’t help it, I’m nervous!” Lance whined. “Can you blame me?” 

“No, I suppose I can’t,” Hunk agreed. He could have left it there, but he didn’t. “After all, your job is on the line right now, plus you could be arrested for being criminally asymptomatic, and also Keith could be sent to a detention center for having dated you. Yeah, I guess I can see why you might be a little nervous. But you fussing over imaginary creases in your clothing is not going to make a difference in all that, and it’s starting to get on my nerves.” 

Lance wanted to be mad at Hunk for being so harsh, but he was too nervous to do so. Plus, he kinda deserved it. He’d been stressing out about the review board since the date was set three days ago, and Hunk had spent the entire time trying to calm Lance down. But even Hunk had to get fed up eventually, and after three days of telling Lance that everything was gonna be alright, it seemed Hunk had reached that point. Plus, of course, it probably didn’t help that Lance had woken Hunk up at 4 that morning because he was too highly strung to sleep and wanted someone to talk to and didn’t want to call his family because then he’d have to admit the dire situation he was in. So poor Hunk had been dealing with Lance’s panic on not nearly enough sleep for almost six hours by then. 

“Sorry. I just- I- I’m really scared about this, Hunk. I mean, I knew it would come to something like this eventually, but… I thought I’d be more ready for it when it came.” 

“You’re a good inspector, Lance,” Hunk sighed, his caring nature overriding his ire. “They may not like your methods, but that’s not worth firing you over. I’m sure calmer voices will prevail. At least, I hope they do. I’ve already decided to resign if you get fired, but I’m not sure how I’ll be able to transition to a new job. That’s pretty stressful, y’know? I’d like to be optimistic, but it’s pretty scary.” 

“Well, you know I’ll have your back. As will everyone here. Just like you always have ours,” Lance replied, momentarily forgetting his panic to comfort Hunk. The moment didn’t last long, however, and he was soon back to wringing his hands. “But like, shouldn’t everyone be getting here soon? There’s only twenty minutes left before this meeting is supposed to start.” 

Hunk groaned. 

Seventeen minutes later, Lance found himself sitting outside the meeting room where the review board was instead of inside it where he’d previously been, as Allura had kicked him out stating that she and the other attendees would talk privately amongst themselves before calling him in for a little Q & A session. Calling him in to grill him alive, more like. Somehow, he didn’t look forward to becoming a Lance brisket. 

Lance waited impatiently, pacing sometimes, picking at his nails, straightening his tie, smoothing out his shirt, pulling at his hair, and trying with only partial success to resist the urge to scratch his arms until he clawed welts into his skin. He needed to pee but he couldn’t risk not being there when they decided they wanted him present. He really shouldn’t have had that fifth cup of coffee. But of course he’d had to have a fifth cup, because what if he only drank four and then was too tired from the anxiety-driven insomnia of the previous night and started to nod off mid-meeting?! 

When Lance finally was called back into the meeting room, he knew he had to look like a wreck. Messy hair, messy clothes, damaged skin, and probably a slightly deranged look in his eyes to top it all off. Yeah, this was not going to go well at all, was it? 

“Inspector McClain,” Allura began, “we have decided that we will overlook the fact that you are criminally asymptomatic for now. Should you give us reason to doubt you in the future, however, then we will not be so lenient. However, this merely means we will not report your criminally asymptomatic status. Your employment is still in question.” 

“Understood,” Lance said weakly. His voice was shaking. Ugh, now was not the time to be being pathetic! Pity points would not help him here. He had to present a reliable facade, be someone they thought was worthwhile. The three C’s and all that. 

“First off, we are concerned with your tendency to act independently,” Allura said. “Can you guarantee us that you will not do so in the future?” 

“That, I… cannot,” Lance answered hesitantly. He wanted to give them the answers they wanted to hear, but at the same time, didn’t he need to be honest? Lying here seemed like the first step to becoming more like Lotor, and he didn’t want to go down that road. “If I believe my independent actions will save lives and protect the people, then I’m going to do them, even if it’s against orders. All I can promise is that I’ll try and listen to what everyone else has to say before doing things my way. Hunk and I, that’s kinda what we’ve been doing this past month, where we hear each other out and plan from there, and it works. I know some of my ideas are pretty crazy and reckless, and I get why you guys might reject them, but sometimes risks are necessary. And sometimes they aren’t and I need a voice of reason to point that out to me, but not without at least giving the risks due consideration. So… I can’t guarantee I won’t disobey orders or do things my way instead of by the books. I’ll try my best, but I’m going to put the people first. Even if that gets me fired.” 

“It has been suggested that we are a little too quick to disregard your opinions,” Kolivan said, and he exchanged glances with some of the others present, the other inspectors and Shiro, Shinya, and Ginoza. “Perhaps we have grown too complacent in our peaceful society, and have forgotten that even Sybil has its limits. We may have reduced our ability to adapt when faced with crimes, when criminals are constantly changing in order to find new ways to evade Sybil.” 

“But isn’t that why we have the enforcers?” Lance asked. 

“Except enforcers are latent criminals,” Thace pointed out. “They can’t be trusted.” 

“Well what’s wrong with trusting a latent criminal?” Lance asked. “Just because they are latent criminals doesn’t mean that every action they commit is backed by bad intentions. And our enforcers have given me nothing but reasons to trust them. They’ve been there for me, protecting me even at risk to themselves and supporting me emotionally. They’re good people. And even if they weren’t such good people, to trust is human. Distrust can be human too, don’t get me wrong, but it tends to be a learned behavior. And it’s also a behavior that can have a negative impact on a person’s psycho-pass, if you care about such things. I prefer to trust people, because not trusting them is lonely, and it empties out your world. There are so many amazing people that you can only meet if you try trusting a little. I choose to trust the enforcers I work with, and they haven’t let me down yet. In fact, they’ve gone above and beyond what I expected of them. Sometimes they’re not the most ethical about some things, but overall, they’re good people, and I don’t regret any of the trust I’ve put in them.” 

“Even Kogane?” Shinya asked. “Hunk and Shiro explained to us what happened between you and him.” 

“Especially Keith,” Lance said. “Yeah, I got hurt by our fight, but so what? That happens. Even when you aren’t dealing with a latent criminal, it happens. It’s what happens after you get hurt that counts. Do they turn on you completely, or do they regret what caused you pain and try to make up for it? Keith is trying to make up for it. And yeah, maybe he could hurt me again, but I don’t think he will. There’s this old-timey concept, a pre-Sybil thing called ‘the benefit of the doubt’. Back then they didn’t have cymatic scans to tell them who to trust, so they had this ‘benefit of the doubt’ to say that as long as there was any doubt as to whether or not a person would hurt them, they would assume that they wouldn’t. And I doubt Keith will make the same mistake twice. I have faith in him. Maybe you guys don’t, but you have to admit he’s a good enforcer; one of the best. And isn’t that a sign that you guys trust him too, at least a little bit?” 

“Getting right to the point,” Iverson said, “does that mean you intend to continue dating Kogane should the two of you keep your jobs?” 

“Of course I do,” Lance said. “Even if I get fired I want to try and continue our relationship. Why ruin a good thing? And before you ask, yes we can maintain professionalism on the job even if we’re dating. Or maybe Hunk and Shiro failed to mention that Keith and I have been dating almost as long as I’ve been an inspector.” 

“But the two of you dating sets up precedence,” Ginoza said. “And while it may work out in your case, that could just be because you are criminally asymptomatic, and therefore not so different from an enforcer. In fact, the main reason you would keep your rank should you keep your job is because a demotion would get your criminally asymptomatic status noticed by Sybil. An enforcer with a clear hue is impossible, so you must remain an inspector. But should other inspector and enforcer pairs attempt relationships, it could be disastrous.” 

“Yeah, _could_ be,” Lance protested. “Did you not hear what all I just said about trusting until there’s no longer any doubt? You can’t just focus on what could go wrong. That’s pessimism, and it only clouds your hue.” 

“Believe me, I know that all too well,” Ginoza replied. 

“Oh. Uh, sorry man. Didn’t mean to uh, rub sand in any wounds or-” 

“It’s actually salt,” Hunk corrected. “Rub salt into someone’s wounds. Though I bet sand would be just as painful. And probably more liable to start an infection.” 

“Were there any other concerns?” Allura asked. 

No one spoke up. 

“Alright. McClain, would you mind stepping outside again while we reach a verdict?” 

Lance reluctantly obeyed. His legs were shaky as he left the room, and he stumbled to the bathroom because that coffee was really beginning to be a problem. He took his time washing his hands, trying to compose himself in case of bad news. He had to believe they wouldn’t fire him. He had to believe in the best outcome. But all the same, if the worst did happen, he needed to be braced for it. 

He got back to the hall outside the meeting room just as the door opened. 

“We’ve reached a decision,” Shiro said, smiling warmly. Was that- that smile was a good sign, right? Or maybe not. Shiro was a naturally warm person, after all. 

As soon as Lance was seated, Allura spoke up. 

“Inspector McClain, after some discussion, we have all come to the conclusion that the best course of action for the moment is to leave things as they are. To demote you or fire you may draw Sybil’s attention, and we do believe that you are indeed acting with the spirit of the MWPSB at heart. Also we’re already short-staffed and can’t really replace you and we need you. Be that as it may, consider yourself on probation. You will be under close supervision of your fellow inspectors. Should you give them any reason to question your intentions, repercussions will be swift and severe. If I were you, I would be very careful about my actions from this point onward.” 

“U-understood,” Lance said, feeling like a blob of jelly because everything about him was shaky right then from his voice to his knees to his stomach contents. He’d never known good news to feel so horrible. 

“Good. And on that note, know that I will be watching as well. It seems that I am being considered as Haggar’s replacement, and there is a good chance I will be taking over as district chief. Should that happen, then I look forward to working with you all again.” 

As the other inspectors congratulated Allura, Lance closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath. He had done it. He had kept his job, and hadn’t gotten Keith fired in the process. There was a long road ahead of him, but at least Lance would not be alone on it. Maybe, just maybe, things were finally turning out okay. 

* * *

Keith had always been certain there would never be a day when he would come to like Shinya Kogami. And he was right. There would never be an entire day. But surprisingly enough, there was a brief moment. 

“Lance’s review board just concluded,” Kogami said from the doorway of the seventh division’s gym. Rolo and Nyma had been kind enough to invite Keith there for a workout while they awaited the verdict on Lance, and so he was currently running on one of the treadmills while Rolo jumped rope and Nyma took a turn sparring with the battle bot. 

“And?” Nyma demanded, throwing the battle bot across the room so she had space to turn and glare at Kogami with her hands on her hips. 

“He’s going to remain an inspector of the seventh division of the MWPSB,” Kogami said. Nyma cheered and ran over to jump Keith, almost causing him to come crashing down when he lost his pace on the moving surface of the treadmill. 

“You hear that Keithy?” she crowed in his ear. “It seems your boyfriend is gonna be sticking around a while!” 

Despite his resentment of the hug which was sticky with sweat and way too warm and completely uninvited, Keith smiled. His smile faded when Rolo joined in the hug, but he bore with it just this once, because that really was good news. 

“It seems like they’re also keeping Kogane around,” Kogami added, watching the three of them with a small smirk. 

“Well duh,” Nyma said. 

“They’re not so stupid as to get rid of the best enforcer we have,” Rolo agreed, and Keith had to admit that he was a little touched that his most annoying teammates had such faith in him. 

“I suppose he does alright,” Kogami said, teasing. “Y’know, for a guy who can’t follow orders and runs straight into traps.” 

Yup, that moment Keith had kinda liked the guy was definitely over. Oh well, at least he had done his duty and shared the good news. 

When Keith was finally freed from the somewhat-welcome hug, he returned to the treadmill to finish up his run. Rolo and Nyma, meanwhile, went off to celebrate or something. Unfortunately, Kogami stuck around. 

“Just so you know, McClain really isn’t my type,” Kogami said, and Keith turned off the treadmill with a growl of annoyance. 

“Are we seriously having this conversation?” he asked the treadmill’s display screen. 

“I just thought you might like to know that.” 

“Actually, what I’d like to know is what the hell you’re going to be doing from now on,” Keith said, turning to face Kogami and sizing the man up since he was already picking a fight. And maybe picking a fight wasn’t such a great idea, because Keith had already gotten his ass handed to him by this guy once before, and right now Keith was tired and annoyed and still shorter and not as buff, whereas Kogami was fresh for a fight and calm and and still taller and stronger and yeah, if Kogami rose to the challenge then Keith was dead. 

However, Kogami smiled. 

“Wise of you. In your shoes, I’d probably be wondering the same thing. After all, I am a latent criminal and only a temporary ally. Now that Lotor has been captured, there’s not really anything to stop me from running again, and your job is to capture me should I do so. But there’s no need for concern. I’ve been talking to Tsunemori, and it seems recent events have left the capital with a rather dire personnel shortage. In particular, they’re short on enforcers, and believe it or not, people like us aren’t all that common. If I go back to the capital now, there’s a chance I will be reinstated as a full-time enforcer. Plus I hear Akane-chan’s new partner is a bit of a problem, and I don’t want to leave her and Gino alone with someone like that.” 

“Is that so?” Keith asked. Kogami nodded. “Well, good for you. Best wishes and all that.” Keith turned back to the treadmill, hoping this was the end of their talk. 

“Kogane,” Kogami said, and Keith let out a small huff of irritation. 

“What?” 

“Try not to get too caught up in the job. Being a good enforcer is something to be proud of, but don’t let that pride rule you. It’ll only hurt the people you love. Lance, and Shiro, and everyone else as well.” 

There was something in the older man’s voice, something sincere, that made Keith turn and stare, but Kogami was already gone. And a fact that Keith had known all along hit Keith like a ton of bricks. He didn’t like Kogami because they were so similar. And just now it seemed that maybe, just maybe, that similarity wasn’t just in their skills and personalities. Maybe it was also in the mistakes they’d made. Perhaps Keith wasn’t the only one getting a second chance with the people he’d almost destroyed in going back to his old division. 

* * *

It was odd, getting back into their old routine. Not difficult, in fact, it was surprisingly easy. Just odd. It seemed almost paradoxical, how so much could happen, and yet it was almost like nothing had changed. 

The tenth division was just as mythical as ever. The only difference between now and before was now there really was no tenth division. Given that they’d never done anything to begin with, and had lost both their inspectors, it was decided that rather than hire some new people, they would instead send the tenth division enforcers back to the capital along with Tsunemori, Ginoza, and Kogami. 

Keith was back at home in the seventh division, partnering up with Shiro always and rushing ahead rather than waiting. He was back to meals with Lance and their fighting lessons and good luck kisses. There were some differences to before though, like how at least once a week he’d head over to the ninth division to spend some time with them and slowly get to know his mom. Or how he had actually listened when it was suggested he talk to Shay about some things. Or how Allura tended to pop up when she was too exhausted from the backlog of paperwork that Haggar had left behind. 

Yet even with the slight changes, everything still fell smoothly into place, until it was almost as if things had always been this way. It was almost like everything with Lotor had been a dream. 

Except dreams didn’t have lasting consequences, and Lotor’s chaos did. Even a month after Lotor’s arrest, they were still fixing the tampered scanners, still struggling to overhaul the security in the detention centers so they could be reopened, still training replacement wardens, and word was still out that someone in their town was looking for latent criminals and trying to make the town a criminal paradise. Crime rates were still far higher than anywhere else under Sybil’s control, and for every latent criminal they arrested, another two would arrive, looking for their version of utopia. It was busy, but busy was good. 

They were just coming in from a long shift when Allura announced the changes to the MWPSB rulebook. She came to their office to tell them in person, and finished off with “Make sure you read it all carefully, though I’m sure Keith and Lance will find additions 2.5 and 8.11 particularly interesting.” 

She left with a wicked grin that Keith had only seen on her a few times and which he’d always found a little alarming. Most likely because it tended to be followed by innocent surprises that were often unpleasant. Like when she’d had him watch that old anime about magical girls, that had started out seemingly cute and fluffy and had ended up being absolutely devastating. 

Lance, being the dedicated inspector he naturally was and the guy on probation he also was, immediately sat down and called up the document containing the revisions to the rulebook. 

“You’re going to skip right to the ones she mentioned, right?” Rolo asked, elbowing his way over to Lance. 

“She said to read it all carefully, and that’s what I’m going to do,” Lance replied. 

“You are far too ethical, even for an inspector,” Rolo grumbled. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered,” Pidge said over the comms. “Let me see here. Ah, addition 2.5, here we go. ‘Addition 2.5: Should an inspector and an enforcer form a romantic relationship with one another, the inspector must submit to weekly appointments with an approved therapist to ensure that the relationship is not having any negative impacts on their psycho-pass. Extra therapy sessions are also recommended for the enforcer, but not required.’” 

Keith felt himself blushing, and could see a similar redness creeping across Lance’s skin as well. Yeah, that was certainly something they’d find interesting, alright. But did Allura have to go and tell everyone about it? 

“Oh my god,” Nyma said, giggling. “Oh my god! Really? They just condoned your guys’s relationship!” 

“This is solid gold,” Shiro agreed. “Pidge, I hope you’re saving this stuff, and please tell me the next one is just as good.” 

“Oh it is,” Pidge promised, and in the background, they could hear Matt howling with laughter. This did not bode well. 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Hunk asked, and Keith’s faith in his team crumbled completely. How could they take such pleasure in his and Lance’s mortification? 

Though if Keith was totally honest, he’d react the same way if the tables were turned. But that was neither here nor there. 

“Addition 8.11,” Pidge read. “Trusted enforcers may accompany inspectors on overnight outings and extended trips of up to two weeks. However, no more than one enforcer can accompany an inspector on an extended trip, both parties must report in to their district chief on a daily basis, and enforcers are to be restrained while the inspector sleeps for safety reasons.” The comms cut off quickly as soon as Pidge finished reading, but not before they heard the start of her cackle. 

“Just kill me now,” Lance whispered, and Keith reached over to take his hand and give it a light squeeze. 

“Stay safe, you two,” Rolo said cheerfully. 

“Matt has condoms if you need any,” Nyma added. 

“I really hate you guys,” Keith muttered. 

“Well too bad, because we love ya,” Nyma replied. “You’re like that pesky little brother we never wanted but still got.” 

“Excuse you, but I’m way more mature than either of you so I’m the older sibling even if you guys were born before me,” Keith argued. 

“Ignoring the very obvious implications though, it’s a good thing for everyone,” Shiro mused, ignoring the impending scuffle between Nyma and Keith as always. “It can be useful for investigations, since we can do extended surveillance without constantly having to transport personnel back and forth, and also it can be good bonding between inspectors and enforcers. Plus it allows enforcers to have vacations. Our hues may be already tainted, but we do still need to do some maintenance. Too much stress will still increase our chances of defiance. We’ll have to plan out how we want to use this to best improve morale without losing efficiency. But also I agree that you two will probably be the ones to enjoy the benefits of this new rule the most.” 

“Yup, no, that’s it, I’m done,” Lance said, getting to his feet. “It’s been real, y’all, but I’m out. Don’t worry Hunk, I promise I’ll get my reports done later on, so um, peace.” As he spoke, Lance slowly edged towards the office door, and he blitzed as soon as it was clear. 

Everyone watched the space he had disappeared for a moment, and then finally Hunk cleared his throat, looked at Keith, and asked, “Um, aren’t you gonna go after him?” 

“Yeah, I will,” Keith promised. “But first I’ve gotta give you guys hell for embarrassing him, because what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?” 

Later on, when Keith did go after Lance, he would find Lance taking a leaf out of his book and fighting the battle bot. They would turn off the battle bot and spar for a bit, and then go have dinner together. And after that? Who knew. The future was theirs now. They no longer were restricted by unspoken rules. From now on, they were free to be together as much as they pleased. 

After all, they really did make the best team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations, you made it to the end. Yaaaaaay.  
> Sorry the writing kinda fell apart as things went on. As I implied in the notes for one of the previous chapters, I got really burnt out in the process of writing this.  
> If you left kudos, or better yet, took the time to comment, thank you greatly! I'm not entirely satisfied with how this turned out so getting feedback, especially positive feedback, really helps take the edge off the unease I felt posting something I was less-than-confident about.  
> Finally, a little bonus. When I first was thinking of writing a Psycho-Pass au, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it for VLD, but then I imagined everyone sitting around, sharing a meal, and Pidge (in all innocence) pondering aloud whether or not dating an enforcer would cloud and inspector's psycho-pass, and Lance and Keith both choking because they've totally been dating behind everyone's backs. As you may have noticed, such a scene didn't make it into my final draft, but it amused me too much not to share it.


End file.
